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| Boilerpipe Text | Virtual Travel
A
Smithsonian
magazine special report
Visitors brave -40 degree temperatures to climb glistening ice castles and frozen replicas of iconic buildings
Jane Recker
-
Daily Correspondent
January 10, 2019
Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province.
VCG / Getty Images
Every winter, millions of tourists flock to
Harbin
— a city in the northeast corner of China—to stand in temperatures nearing -40 degrees Fahrenheit and look at giant blocks of ice. Of course, it helps when those ice blocks are skillfully arranged to create a replica of the Colosseum, lit from the inside by multi-colored incandescent lights to glow under the inky winter sky.
An illuminated colosseum made of ice at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China
Tao Zhang / Getty Images
January 5 marked the beginning of the two-month-long
35th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival
, the
largest snow and ice festival in the world
. Spanning
eight million square feet
of the city, the multi-million dollar production features massive snow and ice sculptures that draw visitors from across the globe. Though the official modern-day festival began in 1985, an
organized ice show began in 1963
, and the event can trace its frigid artistry back to the early
Qing dynasty
when peasants and fishermen placed candles inside blocks of ice cut from the
Songhua River
to create makeshift lanterns.
A man carves ice during the 2019 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.
Fred Dufour / AFP / Getty Images
Nearly 400 years later, the Songhua still serves as the lifeblood of the festival. Thousands of workers spend the days leading up to the festival cutting blocks of ice,
two to three feet thick
, to provide the nearly four million cubic feet of frozen building material needed to build the Ice and Snow World.
Tao Zhang / Getty Images
In a pool next to the Songhua, a
polar plunge
is held every day. Polar swimming is popular in China’s northeast and is said to improve circulation and mental acuity. This plunge is only for the bravest or most masochistic health nuts, as the air temperatures rarely break sub-zero.
VCG / Getty Images
For those looking for a unique place to tie the knot, the festival has a
mass wedding
every year with dozens of couples attending. Though many of the lovebirds are from Harbin, the ceremony draws couples from around the world, many of whom use the standout experience of getting hitched in freezing temperatures as a second ceremony. Donning fur coats and parkas over their dresses and suits, the couples pose for pictures after exchanging rings, then collectively cut a massive frozen wedding cake.
- / AFP / Getty Images
The real attractions are the festival's frosty artistic productions. The
snow carving competition
is held on Harbin’s
Sun Island
, where teams from around the world sculpt highly detailed creations out of hard packed snow. On top of the ice pulled from the river, four million cubic feet of snow are carefully carved with
saws, shovels, augers and sandpaper
to create super-sized human faces, animals, palaces and an army of giant snowmen.
Tourists watch illuminated snow sculptures at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.
VCG / Contributor / Getty Images
When the sun goes down, Harbin begins to shine in earnest. The
Ice and Snow World
looks like a shining city of glass, but it’s all constructed out of bricks of frozen water. Rome may not have been built in a day, but the Harbin version of its Colosseum nearly was. Through the efforts of over
7,000 workers
, the 64,000-square-foot city is constructed in roughly two weeks. Described as an “icy Disneyland,” the attraction is filled with frozen architectural feats, resplendent with castles, replicas of iconic buildings and even a few giant ice slides for visitors to enjoy.
This year, more than 10 million visitors are expected to attend the festival, which runs through February 5.
(Top image:
Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. [VCG / Getty Images])
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A *Smithsonian* magazine special report
# Step Inside Winter’s Most Spectacular Wonderland at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Northeast China
## Visitors brave -40 degree temperatures to climb glistening ice castles and frozen replicas of iconic buildings
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[Jane Recker](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/author/jane-recker/) - Daily Correspondent
January 10, 2019
[Get our newsletter\!](https://app.monstercampaigns.com/c/x9folvec1vn9ytz22v4m/)
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Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. VCG / Getty Images
Every winter, millions of tourists flock to [Harbin](https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/heilongjiang/harbin/) — a city in the northeast corner of China—to stand in temperatures nearing -40 degrees Fahrenheit and look at giant blocks of ice. Of course, it helps when those ice blocks are skillfully arranged to create a replica of the Colosseum, lit from the inside by multi-colored incandescent lights to glow under the inky winter sky.
An illuminated colosseum made of ice at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China Tao Zhang / Getty Images
January 5 marked the beginning of the two-month-long [35th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/nydn-china-s-frozen-city-returns-for-the-35th-harbin-international-ice-and-snow-festival-20190107-photogallery.html), the [largest snow and ice festival in the world](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/harbin-ice-and-snow-festival-2019-china/index.html). Spanning [eight million square feet](https://www.wsj.com/articles/snow-balls-five-winter-festivals-worth-the-trip-1418412369) of the city, the multi-million dollar production features massive snow and ice sculptures that draw visitors from across the globe. Though the official modern-day festival began in 1985, an [organized ice show began in 1963](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/worlds-largest-ice-and-snow-carnival-underway-china-180953797/), and the event can trace its frigid artistry back to the early [Qing dynasty](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qing-dynasty) when peasants and fishermen placed candles inside blocks of ice cut from the [Songhua River](https://www.topchinatravel.com/china-attractions/songhua-river.htm) to create makeshift lanterns.
A man carves ice during the 2019 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. Fred Dufour / AFP / Getty Images
Nearly 400 years later, the Songhua still serves as the lifeblood of the festival. Thousands of workers spend the days leading up to the festival cutting blocks of ice, [two to three feet thick](https://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p164-harbin-ice-and-snow-world-2015.html), to provide the nearly four million cubic feet of frozen building material needed to build the Ice and Snow World.
Tao Zhang / Getty Images
In a pool next to the Songhua, a [polar plunge](https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/01/06/swimmers-take-icy-plunge-at-china-snow-festival/21649186/) is held every day. Polar swimming is popular in China’s northeast and is said to improve circulation and mental acuity. This plunge is only for the bravest or most masochistic health nuts, as the air temperatures rarely break sub-zero.
VCG / Getty Images
For those looking for a unique place to tie the knot, the festival has a [mass wedding](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/videos/news/something-blue-mass-wedding-held-in-china039s-freezing-039ice-city039.html) every year with dozens of couples attending. Though many of the lovebirds are from Harbin, the ceremony draws couples from around the world, many of whom use the standout experience of getting hitched in freezing temperatures as a second ceremony. Donning fur coats and parkas over their dresses and suits, the couples pose for pictures after exchanging rings, then collectively cut a massive frozen wedding cake.
\- / AFP / Getty Images
The real attractions are the festival's frosty artistic productions. The [snow carving competition](http://www.harbinice.com/fact-v21-harbin-international-snow-sculpture-competition.html) is held on Harbin’s [Sun Island](https://www.chinahighlights.com/harbin/attraction/the-sun-island-scenic-spot.htm), where teams from around the world sculpt highly detailed creations out of hard packed snow. On top of the ice pulled from the river, four million cubic feet of snow are carefully carved with [saws, shovels, augers and sandpaper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y84-ZA9YBo) to create super-sized human faces, animals, palaces and an army of giant snowmen.
Tourists watch illuminated snow sculptures at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. VCG / Contributor / Getty Images
When the sun goes down, Harbin begins to shine in earnest. The [Ice and Snow World](https://www.icefestivalharbin.com/attraction-p7-harbin-ice-and-snow-world.html) looks like a shining city of glass, but it’s all constructed out of bricks of frozen water. Rome may not have been built in a day, but the Harbin version of its Colosseum nearly was. Through the efforts of over [7,000 workers](https://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p102-7-000-people-involved-in-construction-of-harbin-ice-and-snow-world.html), the 64,000-square-foot city is constructed in roughly two weeks. Described as an “icy Disneyland,” the attraction is filled with frozen architectural feats, resplendent with castles, replicas of iconic buildings and even a few giant ice slides for visitors to enjoy.
This year, more than 10 million visitors are expected to attend the festival, which runs through February 5.
*(Top image: Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. \[VCG / Getty Images\])*
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December 24, 2015
- [This Ice Festival in China Is a Rainbow-Colored Dream](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/ice-festival-china-rainbow-colored-dream-180961905/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api)
January 24, 2017
- [One of the World's Largest Ice and Snow Carnivals Is Underway in China](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/worlds-largest-ice-and-snow-carnival-underway-china-180953797/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api)
January 5, 2015
- [Arboreal 'Snow Monsters' Overrun Northern Japan Every Winter](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/arboreal-snow-monsters-overrun-northern-japan-every-winter-180971323/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api)
January 25, 2019
- [These 15 Inspiring Images of Winter Sports Will Help You Rediscover Your Olympic Spirit](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/see-15-images-that-will-help-you-fall-in-love-the-winter-olympic-games-180988118/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api)
February 6, 2026
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Jane Recker \| \| [Read More](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/author/jane-recker/ "Read more from this author")
Jane Recker has written for *Washingtonian Magazine* and the *Chicago Sun-Times*. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds degrees in journalism and opera.
### Planning Your Next Trip?
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| Readable Markdown | [Virtual Travel](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/virtual-travel-180974440/)
A *Smithsonian* magazine special report
## Visitors brave -40 degree temperatures to climb glistening ice castles and frozen replicas of iconic buildings
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/accounts/headshot/jane.png)
[Jane Recker](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/author/jane-recker/) - Daily Correspondent
January 10, 2019
Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. VCG / Getty Images
Every winter, millions of tourists flock to [Harbin](https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/heilongjiang/harbin/) — a city in the northeast corner of China—to stand in temperatures nearing -40 degrees Fahrenheit and look at giant blocks of ice. Of course, it helps when those ice blocks are skillfully arranged to create a replica of the Colosseum, lit from the inside by multi-colored incandescent lights to glow under the inky winter sky.
An illuminated colosseum made of ice at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China Tao Zhang / Getty Images
January 5 marked the beginning of the two-month-long [35th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/nydn-china-s-frozen-city-returns-for-the-35th-harbin-international-ice-and-snow-festival-20190107-photogallery.html), the [largest snow and ice festival in the world](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/harbin-ice-and-snow-festival-2019-china/index.html). Spanning [eight million square feet](https://www.wsj.com/articles/snow-balls-five-winter-festivals-worth-the-trip-1418412369) of the city, the multi-million dollar production features massive snow and ice sculptures that draw visitors from across the globe. Though the official modern-day festival began in 1985, an [organized ice show began in 1963](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/worlds-largest-ice-and-snow-carnival-underway-china-180953797/), and the event can trace its frigid artistry back to the early [Qing dynasty](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qing-dynasty) when peasants and fishermen placed candles inside blocks of ice cut from the [Songhua River](https://www.topchinatravel.com/china-attractions/songhua-river.htm) to create makeshift lanterns.
A man carves ice during the 2019 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. Fred Dufour / AFP / Getty Images
Nearly 400 years later, the Songhua still serves as the lifeblood of the festival. Thousands of workers spend the days leading up to the festival cutting blocks of ice, [two to three feet thick](https://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p164-harbin-ice-and-snow-world-2015.html), to provide the nearly four million cubic feet of frozen building material needed to build the Ice and Snow World.
Tao Zhang / Getty Images
In a pool next to the Songhua, a [polar plunge](https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/01/06/swimmers-take-icy-plunge-at-china-snow-festival/21649186/) is held every day. Polar swimming is popular in China’s northeast and is said to improve circulation and mental acuity. This plunge is only for the bravest or most masochistic health nuts, as the air temperatures rarely break sub-zero.
VCG / Getty Images
For those looking for a unique place to tie the knot, the festival has a [mass wedding](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/videos/news/something-blue-mass-wedding-held-in-china039s-freezing-039ice-city039.html) every year with dozens of couples attending. Though many of the lovebirds are from Harbin, the ceremony draws couples from around the world, many of whom use the standout experience of getting hitched in freezing temperatures as a second ceremony. Donning fur coats and parkas over their dresses and suits, the couples pose for pictures after exchanging rings, then collectively cut a massive frozen wedding cake.
\- / AFP / Getty Images
The real attractions are the festival's frosty artistic productions. The [snow carving competition](http://www.harbinice.com/fact-v21-harbin-international-snow-sculpture-competition.html) is held on Harbin’s [Sun Island](https://www.chinahighlights.com/harbin/attraction/the-sun-island-scenic-spot.htm), where teams from around the world sculpt highly detailed creations out of hard packed snow. On top of the ice pulled from the river, four million cubic feet of snow are carefully carved with [saws, shovels, augers and sandpaper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y84-ZA9YBo) to create super-sized human faces, animals, palaces and an army of giant snowmen.
Tourists watch illuminated snow sculptures at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. VCG / Contributor / Getty Images
When the sun goes down, Harbin begins to shine in earnest. The [Ice and Snow World](https://www.icefestivalharbin.com/attraction-p7-harbin-ice-and-snow-world.html) looks like a shining city of glass, but it’s all constructed out of bricks of frozen water. Rome may not have been built in a day, but the Harbin version of its Colosseum nearly was. Through the efforts of over [7,000 workers](https://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p102-7-000-people-involved-in-construction-of-harbin-ice-and-snow-world.html), the 64,000-square-foot city is constructed in roughly two weeks. Described as an “icy Disneyland,” the attraction is filled with frozen architectural feats, resplendent with castles, replicas of iconic buildings and even a few giant ice slides for visitors to enjoy.
This year, more than 10 million visitors are expected to attend the festival, which runs through February 5.
*(Top image: Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. \[VCG / Getty Images\])*
### You Might Also Like
- December 24, 2015
- January 24, 2017
- January 5, 2015
- January 25, 2019
- February 6, 2026
### Planning Your Next Trip?
Explore great travel deals
**A Note to our Readers** Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission.
- More about:
- [China](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/tag/china-1/)
- [Sculpture](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/tag/sculpture/)
- [Snow](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/tag/snow/)
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