Harbin Ice and Snow World offers year-round immersive fun

There are many good reasons why we should embrace the cold. This is especially true when it comes to the giant ice sculptures set outdoors at Harbin Ice and Snow World in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in winter. However, the amusement park is now not only open during sub-zero conditions, but one that offers entertainment all year round.

Its so-called "four-season ice and snow project" ensures that visitors can get an immersive experience both outdoors and indoors through the year. From skating, a 5D cinema, to ice and snow-themed shows, performances and a food market, as well as a virtual reality experience, the new smart space has kept the ice and snow craze going at the park.

The Harbin Ice and Snow World amusement park was founded in 1999. It's been expanding every year and now covers an area of over 816,600 square meters. The "four-season ice and snow project" occupies a total building area of 96,000 square meters.

In addition to the ice and snow display in winter, the park is open to tourists the whole year round and is integrated with a wetland park to the west, providing a place for leisure, entertainment and gathering for tourists.

So far, the Harbin Ice and Snow World winter event has been held for 25 years at the park. The latest one witnessed over 2.7 million visitors over a 61-day-long operation period.

The recently-ended festival at the park applied advanced technology. The organizers said that they will continue the flexible use of digital technology in the "four-season ice and snow project," and offer visitors an experience of "smart" and "immersive" tourism.

With that, the project has been included in China's first national smart tourism immersive experience new space cultivation pilot list. It's also the only project from Heilongjiang Province that has been added to the list.