Between China and Siberia lies a small city which, since 1984, has hosted the famous International Ice and Snow Festival every year. This is Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, the northernmost region of China.
This spectacular festival, which takes place annually from January to February, aIt attracts millions of visitors from all over the globe, eager to admire the monumental buildings ice and snow sculptures that adorn the city. The event has its origins in the 1960s, when locals began sculpting ice from the Songhua River to create decorative lanterns during the winter, a tradition that has evolved into the massive festival we know today.
The ice sculptures that characterize the festival are true architectural works of art, created using enormous blocks of ice extracted from the Songhua River. Artists employ sophisticated techniques to create scale replicas of famous world monuments, fantastic palaces and entire cities of ice, illuminated by thousands of colored LED lights that create a breathtaking visual effect on long winter nights. These structures can reach heights of more than 40 meters and require weeks of meticulous work by teams of expert sculptors from around the world.
The ice park
The festival’s main park, theIce and Snow Worldextends over an area of over 800,000 square meters and represents the beating heart of the event. Here, visitors can not only admire the sculptures, but also participate in numerous winter activities such as skiing, ice skating and sledding. The festive atmosphere is amplified by the presence of cultural shows, concerts and theatrical performances that celebrate the traditions of the region. Harbin’s extremely cold temperatures, which can drop to -35°C in winter, help preserve the sculptures for the duration of the festival.
Environmental sustainability has become an increasingly important aspect of the festival in recent years. The organizers have implemented several initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of the event, including the use of energy-efficient LED lights and the recycling of water resulting from the melting of the sculptures.
