The world's largest snow and ice festival is happening in China right now (PHOTOS)

The 36th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China opened on Sunday with this year’s theme being “Ice Snow Integration, Happy to Go Together.”

The festival features five categories of ice and snow events with activities for tourism, fashion, culture, sports, and trade.

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It spans the grounds of four theme parks: Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, Songhua River Ice and Snow Harbin Vallet, Harbin Ice and Snow World, and the Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Fair.

This year will also feature additional new programs at Volgar Mannor and Ying Jie Scenic Area.

 

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The opening ceremony took place in Harbin Ice and Snow World and involved colourful celebrations complete with festive fireworks to kick off the event in China’s northeast Heilongjiang province.

Harbin Sun Island Group Co., Ltd., Harbin Ice and Snow World, and Harbin Sun Island Snow Expo also jointly launched an eight-hour live broadcast of the opening ceremony.

 

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The festival itself is one of the largest ice and snow festivals in the world, with approximately 220,000 cubic metres of ice and snow used to build the mystical ice world, Xinhua News Agency reports. 

It has been a significant driver in creating a name for Harbin as a popular winter tourism destination.

For more information regarding pricing and access to the various locations, you can visit the Harbin Ice website.

 

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