Dazzling ice sculptures attract tourists in Harbin

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The annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in the provincial capital city of Harbin in China's most northeastern province Heilongjiang is attracting tourists.

Viewed as one of the world’s most attractive winter tourist destinations, it has hosted the festival for the last 33 years.

A park called Ice and Snow World offer a dazzling array of ice sculptures lit up with LED lights. It is the go-to spot for tourists visiting Harbin this season.

Ahmed, an exchange student from Yemen, said, "I'm from Yemen and this is my first time here in Harbin, and the Ice Festival. I think it’s such an interesting place. There are a lot of objects here. It’s so hard to get the same place like here."

CGTN Photo

A record 180,000 cubic meters of ice was used this year to recreate some of the world's famous landmarks. Beijing's Temple of Heaven, Moscow's Red Square and Thailand's Wat Phra Kaew are all making their debuts at the event.

American tourist Christina Phipps, who traveled to Harbin with her husband and two kids, said, "The Buddhist structure is our favorite. We traveled a lot through Asia, but that was incredible. And one of the castles, just the work that’s gone into, the amount of manpower gone into it and getting it together, it’s just amazing!"

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The park incorporated the concept of the Belt and Road Initiative into the design, showcasing what is viewed as the most iconic architecture from countries involved in the project.

"We want to show different architectural styles and cultural landscapes, through the elements of ice and snow," said Wang Zengyu, Deputy General Manager of the park.

All the ice sculptures in the entire park were built in 15 days. Over 10,000 staff members were involved in constructing the exhibits. Du Yanjiang was one of them, who has been carving ice for 20 years. He said the quality of ice and modern machinery contributes to the speedy construction of the structures.

CGTN Photo

"We have an advantage that the ice we use from the Songhuajiang River is crystal clear, and the low temperatures here in Harbin make it easier to carve. And for giant sculptures, cranes and forklifts are now doing the lifting, instead of relying solely on manpower," Du added.

Ice and snow have helped shape a new identity for Harbin, which was once known as the Oriental Moscow. This year’s festival will run until the end of February before the ice melts.