Traditionally known for its Great Wall, Forbidden City, and making nearly everything you touch or wear, China has more recently brought to life a kind of Winter Wonderland. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival offers visitors from around the globe a chance to experience all facets of winter in China’s Ice City.
The festival is a month-long extravaganza that provides visitors the chance to see and experience everything from ice hotels, winter sports, and snow sculptures, which are one of the highlights of the festival. Although the sculptures will be located throughout the city, there are two central exhibition areas – Sun Island, and Ice and Snow World. Sun Island features gigantic snow sculptures, whereas the Ice and Snow World is an illuminated nighttime exhibition of full size buildings created from extraordinarily thick ice.
Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Northeast China, Harbin has world-class resorts, which offer visitors an opportunity to partake in skiing or snowboarding, or you can stay in a unique ice hotel. The festival also offers a wide variety of other sights and activities, including an ice lantern art fair, winter swimming, and dog sledding. If you do plan on visiting, you better bring your warmest winter jacket, and lots of layers because this part of China receives its cold winter wind from Siberia.
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