Harbin Ice and Snow Festival 2013
2013
Our virtual trip today takes us to the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. This festival is amazing with full size buildings made from blocks of 2–3 feet thick of crystal clear ice cut from the Songhua River and lit up in many colors. Quite fascinating and beautiful. This is ‘Ice and Snow World’ but there is also an exhibition at Sun Island with enormous snow sculptures as well as ice and snow sculptures throughout the city.
Harbin is located in northeast China where the average temperatures are -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter and 21.2 degrees Celsius in the summer. The Ice and Snow Festival has been held since 1963, although it was interrupted for a few years due to the Cultural Revolution, resuming again in 1985. Traditionally the show starts January 5th and runs for one month.
The Harbin festival is one of the world’s four largest ice and snow festivals. The other 3 are Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada’s Quebec City Winter carnival and Norway’s Ski Festival.
But now let’s take a walk, or a carriage ride. through Ice and Snow World!
Hope you enjoyed the trip. Have a great day!
photo credit here
