The 34th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival kicked off on Friday in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The annual festival is a major event for the ice city of Harbin, which welcomes tourists from around the world. Christy Skull has more.

It has about every winter sport you can imagine. First held in 1985, the month-long event is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals. Locals and tourists alike flock to Sun Island Park, where they can go cross-country skiing and enjoy family-friendly activities.

YAN ZIJUN LOCAL RESIDENT "Through these activities, we can exercise our bodies and also have more fun in winter."

And for even more fun in winter, the park has improved its facilities to satisfy the increasing demands of visitors.

JIANG FEI, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING SNOW SCULPTURE ART EXPO FEMALE, CHINESE "We built a ski run for beginners this year, in the hopes that more children and their parents will come to experience the charm the ice and snow can bring."

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated snow sculpture art expo, Ice and Snow World, has also begun its official run. About 180,000 cubic meters of ice is used to build the winter wonderland, while a similar amount of snow is turned into snow sculptures. Organizers estimate about 1.5 million tourists come to Harbin to visit the ice city each year. No wonder it often tops the list of popular Chinese ice and snow tourism cities. CGTN