This Ice Festival in China Is a Dazzling Multi-colored Dream

BeeBright/iStockphoto/Getty Images

There's an icy winter wonderland in Harbin, the capital of the northernmost—and coldest—province in China.

The city hosts an annual celebration, the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, where ice sculptors compete to create more and more elaborate buildings of ice, all illuminated in multi-colored lights.

Preparations for the event begin months in advance, with workers digging huge ice blocks from the frozen Songhua River. The massive festival has several themed zones, and the main attraction is the Harbin Ice and Snow World, which covers more than 750,000 square meters and features up to 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow.

While impressive in daylight, the show really gets going at night, when the large-scale ice structures are illuminated by technicolor LED lighting.

The festival officially opened January 5, and typically runs through late February. Over one million visitors are expected to attend this year.

Start Slideshow

1 of 27

Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival

Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

A candy cane ice sculpture on view at the Ice and Snow World at the festival in Harbin.

2 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Fireworks illuminate the night sky marking the opening of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival to celebrate the new year.

3 of 27

Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Over one million visitors are expected to attend the popular event.

4 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

A cat sculpture constructed of ice blocks illuminated by fireworks at the opening ceremonies.

5 of 27

BeeBright/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Detail of giant colored ice crystals at the festival.

6 of 27

VCG via Getty Images

The Festival, established in 1985, is held annually and lasts for over one month.

7 of 27

WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images

Visitors watch fireworks at the opening ceremony of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China.

8 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

A view of structures built of ice during the opening night of the annual tourist attraction.

9 of 27

Xinhua/Wang Jianwei via Getty Images

An overview of the Harbin Ice and Snow World, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

10 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

A woman takes a photo as she visits an igloo illuminated by green hued lights at the festival.

11 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Visitors take a selfie at the Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin.

12 of 27

Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

This year the park covers about 800,000 square meters. About 330,000 cubic meters of ice and snow were used to create the sculptures.

13 of 27

VCG via Getty Images

Animal forms being carved out of ice at the festival.

14 of 27

VCG via Getty Images

The 2017 Harbin Ice and Snow World began trial operations December 21, which has attracted tens of thousands of tourists to take pictures here.

15 of 27

Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

A view of structures built of ice during the opening night of the annual tourist attraction.

16 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Ice temples illuminated by colored lights at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival to celebrate the new year in China.

17 of 27

Xinhua/Wang Jianwei via Getty Images

A floating orb design centerpiece at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.

18 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

People visit ice sculptures illuminated by colored lights at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival to celebrate the new year.

19 of 27

Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Opening night of Ice and Snow World in Harbin, China.

20 of 27

VCG via Getty Images

Tourists visit ice sculptures illuminated by colored lights during the opening ceremony of the Ice and Snow World as part of the 33rd Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China.

21 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

A reindeer roams the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.

22 of 27

VCG via Getty Images

Workers use saws to dig big ice blocks from the frozen Songhua River in Harbin. The ice blocks are then transported to the festival areas.

23 of 27

Xinhua/Wang Jianwei via Getty Images

A view of the almost completed construction of the Ice and Snow World Park in mid-December.

24 of 27

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

Swimmers dive into a pool cut from the frozen riverbank as part of a winter swimming competition during the Harbin Ice and Snow festival.

25 of 27

Xinhua/Wang Song via Getty Images

A participant carves an ice sculpture during a national ice sculpture contest.

26 of 27

VCG via Getty Images

Artists carve the 103-meter-long snow sculpture "Long Song" for the Harbin International Snow Sculpture Art Expo at Sun Island in the Heilongjiang Province of China.

Replay gallery

This Ice Festival in China Is a Rainbow-colored Dream

1 of 27

2 of 27

3 of 27

4 of 27

5 of 27

6 of 27

7 of 27

8 of 27

9 of 27

10 of 27

11 of 27

12 of 27

13 of 27

14 of 27

15 of 27

16 of 27

17 of 27

18 of 27

19 of 27

20 of 27

21 of 27

22 of 27

23 of 27

24 of 27

25 of 27

26 of 27

Up Next

Popular in Attractions

All Topics in Attractions

Everything in This Slideshow

Your Profile

This Ice Festival in China Is a Rainbow-colored Dream

1 of 27

2 of 27

3 of 27

4 of 27

5 of 27

6 of 27

7 of 27

8 of 27

9 of 27

10 of 27

11 of 27

12 of 27

13 of 27

14 of 27

15 of 27

16 of 27

17 of 27

18 of 27

19 of 27

20 of 27

21 of 27

22 of 27

23 of 27

24 of 27

25 of 27

26 of 27

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Popular in Attractions

All Topics in Attractions