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Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
Location: Harbin City
Duration: Jan 5 - Feb 5
Transportation: bus or taxi
Culture/History Rating: 2/5
Scenery Rating: 4 /5
Executive Summary: Ice and Snow are the specialty of northern provinces. The festival, started since 1985, was intended to promote the image of harbin city and the city’s tourist industry. If you are not afraid of cold weather, this is quite a nice city to visit during this festival.
Description:
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Harbin, the capital city of China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang, is known as a Paradise of Ice and Snow and is famous for its dazzling outdoor winter artwork. The art of ice-and-snow sculpture made its debut in Harbin thirty years ago, thanks to the intelligence of artists and their efforts to add color to the lives of the local residents by taking advantage of the northern winter weather. Harbin in winter will become a delighted paradise of ice and snow culture. Tourists both at home and abroad are welcome to the Ice and Snow Cultural Paradise.
You are expected to paint dense colors here.
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| To enhance the city’s image and boost its tourism industry, since 1985 the city has hosted the grand Harbin Ice and Snow Festival every year from January to February. The festival is now one of the most popular local festivals in China, as well as one of the largest ice and snow spectaculars in the world, making Harbin a favorite destination for numerous tourists from home and abroad to spend their winter holidays. There’s all sorts of things for them to do during the festival: skating, skiing, tobogganing, ice sailing, ice hockey, or simply enjoying the winter scenery. |
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But a highlight of the festival is the ice lantern and sculpture exhibitions, which provide visitors a good opportunity to appreciate a galaxy of unique ice and snow art. Thousands of exquisitely-made ice lanterns, ice carvings and snow sculptures grace the snow-covered parks, public squares and major streets, turning the city into a dreamlike world of pure whiteness and gleaming crystal. These ice and snow art works come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as a mouse or as big as a bus. The designs range from life-size human figures, animals and flowers to towering castles, delicate pagodas and many other ingenious creations. Some of the most impressive are the intricately detailed replicas of famous buildings, such as the Potala Palace and the Eiffel Tower. And we mustn’t forget the Great Wall! |
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has not only become an integral part of the winter life of the
people of Harbin, but has also played an active role in introducing Harbin to the rest of the country and the world, speeding up the city’s opening to the outside world, and promoting the city’s trade and economic cooperation with foreign countries. In addition to the famous local and international ice lantern and snow sculpture exhibitions and contests, winter swimming, ice hockey and alpine and cross-country skiing contests are held. A film festival, and painting, calligraphy and photo exhibitions are held. Moreover, there are performances of folk songs and dances and wedding ceremonies performed on ice. Trade fairs are also organized. |
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