2015 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival Commences in China

The Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival, famed for its wonderfully intricate sculptures and massive replicas of global icons, is now started. Depending on weather conditions, the festival generally lasts until March. According to organizers, the event area covers an area of about 750,000 square meters.

Works are mostly inspired by Chinese fairy tales and famous landmarks, such as the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids and Iceland’s Hallgrimskirkja church. It’s best seen at night when sculptures are lit up from the inside, giving the whole area a fairyland experience.

The capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Harbin is a bitingly cold city with January daytime temperatures ranging from minus 13-23 Celsius. Due to Harbin’s close proximity to Russia, its northern neighbor’s influence permeates everything from architecture to food.

The Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival have grown to become one of the leading snow festival destinations in the world since 1985, joining the ranks of the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan, Canada’s Quebec Winter Carnival and Norway’s Holmenkollen Ski Festival.

A huge fireworks display was originally planned to start the Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival on 5 January, but officials reportedly canceled the event due to safety concerns following the deadly New Year stampede in Shanghai.