Thousands of tourists world-wide flock to the Chinese city of Harbin — dubbed the ‘Ice City’ — famous for its annual ice sculpture festival and winter related activities. This year’s exhibition features colossal carvings inspired by France’s culture and history — a traditional chalet, the Eiffel Tower and even a sculpture of Napoleon Bonaparte have been elaborately carved into the snow.
Eiffel Tower is carved into the snow.
The largest composition is more than 100 feet high and 600 feet across. Numerous winter wonderland sculptures are lit up with glittering neon lights at night. More than 30,000 cubic meters of ice are used for the festival.
Some of the alluring creations are fashioned by piling up ice blocks which are carved with chisels and chainsaws to construct enormous models of buildings. Lights are frozen in the middle of them to craft the dramatic displays of color.
The largest composition is more than 100 feet high and 600 feet across. Numerous winter wonderland sculptures are lit up with glittering neon lights at night. More than 30,000 cubic meters of ice are used for the festival.
Some of the alluring creations are fashioned by piling up ice blocks which are carved with chisels and chainsaws to construct enormous models of buildings. Lights are frozen in the middle of them to craft the dramatic displays of color.
Photo GETTY
The widespread ice festival is based upon a local tradition of making ice lanterns and sculpting snow dating back almost 1,400 years to the Tang Dynasty. In Zhaoling Park where the festival got its start, the sculptures were more traditional and the visitors were fewer.
Wang Xuhai, director of the Harbin Ice Lantern Art Exhibition Center said Harbin residents for generations have fashioned lanterns from ice. During the Qing Dynasty, from 1644 to 1911, peasants used to make them every winter, pouring water into a bucket, pulling out the ice before it froze through and sticking a candle into the central cavity.
The lanterns were given to children as toys or hung outside homes for New Year’s celebrations. The custom was a way to embrace Harbin’s reputation as one of the coldest locations in China.
The widespread ice festival is based upon a local tradition of making ice lanterns and sculpting snow dating back almost 1,400 years to the Tang Dynasty. In Zhaoling Park where the festival got its start, the sculptures were more traditional and the visitors were fewer.
Wang Xuhai, director of the Harbin Ice Lantern Art Exhibition Center said Harbin residents for generations have fashioned lanterns from ice. During the Qing Dynasty, from 1644 to 1911, peasants used to make them every winter, pouring water into a bucket, pulling out the ice before it froze through and sticking a candle into the central cavity.
The lanterns were given to children as toys or hung outside homes for New Year’s celebrations. The custom was a way to embrace Harbin’s reputation as one of the coldest locations in China.
Napoleon Bonaparte.
The municipal government organized the first display of this folk art in Zhaoling Park in 1962, where they later began sponsoring a competition to see who could make the most beautiful ice lanterns or sculptures.
But over the years, things became more elaborate. Sculpting teams came from around the world to participate, and other nations with icy weather were invited as partners. Soon Sun Island on the outskirts of town in the Songhua River had its own snow exhibition. As the number of tourists increased, it was followed in 1999 by Ice and Snow World across the road.
The municipal government organized the first display of this folk art in Zhaoling Park in 1962, where they later began sponsoring a competition to see who could make the most beautiful ice lanterns or sculptures.
But over the years, things became more elaborate. Sculpting teams came from around the world to participate, and other nations with icy weather were invited as partners. Soon Sun Island on the outskirts of town in the Songhua River had its own snow exhibition. As the number of tourists increased, it was followed in 1999 by Ice and Snow World across the road.
Sculptures are lit up in dazzling colors at night.
The Harbin Ice Festival was officially proclaimed in 1985 following the Cultural Revolution in China, which runs through to the New Year holiday. It now attracts hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors world-wide who brave the sub-zero temperatures.
It’s held each year on the Sun Island in Harbin, northeast China, about 400 miles east of the Russian border. The frigid city’s arctic climate provides an abundant amount of ice and snow with average winter temperatures of minus 16.8 degrees.
The Harbin Ice Festival was officially proclaimed in 1985 following the Cultural Revolution in China, which runs through to the New Year holiday. It now attracts hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors world-wide who brave the sub-zero temperatures.
It’s held each year on the Sun Island in Harbin, northeast China, about 400 miles east of the Russian border. The frigid city’s arctic climate provides an abundant amount of ice and snow with average winter temperatures of minus 16.8 degrees.
