Wintertime in most countries is a cold and miserable affair. But it seems that the people of Harbin didn’t get the message. Instead, they’ve turned the depressing season into the key drawcard of their city. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival attracts tourists from around the world and for a good reason: it is spectacular.
Amazingly, when I walked around the central park choirs were singing, seniors dancing and people exercising. All this while the temperature was about -17oC. The people of this city don’t just endure their hostile environment – they embrace it.
Check out the highlights in this video:
Ice and Snow Festival
Unused ice blocks on the Songhua River.
The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival began in 1963 and has been held annually since 1985. It features an array of snow sculptures and massive ice sculptures, which are colourfully illuminated at night.
The ice blocks are cut out of the frozen Songhua River, which runs through the city. When I walked across the frozen river, there was a stunning graveyard of unused blocks.
The festival comprises several sites around the city; the biggest and most spectacular is ‘Ice and Snow World’ located on Sun Island. The illuminated ice sculptures are incredibly detailed, and the site is enormous.
An improvised adventure park
All 
day (and seemingly, all night) the Songhua River is turned into an adventure playground. Cars and snowmobiles tow riders on inflatable donuts across the ice. People skate around ice-rinks on random contraptions. Add dog-sleds, horses and bumper-cars and it’s quite an experience.
At night, the area is a crazy mix of bright lights, car head-lights, horns and floating lanterns. It is truly impressive.
As the temperature rises towards the end of February, the river thaws and the ice sculptures melt away. Year after year, all the hard work turns into water. It’s a symbol of the persistence and resilience of Harbin.
More photos of spectacular Harbin:
