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If you think you know how a winter wonderland looks, we invite you to think again. Even though your image may be filled more with fairy-lights, Christmas-trees and cinnamony smells as most of us probably associate the season with Christmas celebrations, these pictures from the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival will offer quite a different but no less fascinating perspective on what a winter wonderland can be.


This festival is an annual event taking place in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China and is currently the largest snow and ice festival in the world. Its history started in 1999 when the first Ice and Snow World was opened to the public in December. At first, the participants were almost all Chinese, however, it kept growing and growing until it was decided to make it an international festival and competition. Take a look at the wonders that these ice-sculptors came up with!

More info: Habin Ice

#1

Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

Mitalivshanbhag1810338 Report

How Terribly Unfortunate
Community Member
6 years ago

Wow. All the colors.. This is just so beautiful.

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Harbin has earned the status of one of the coldest places on Earth. But the city found the most beautiful way to embrace their icy existence.

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    #2

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Reuters Report

    TheCakeIsAPie
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited)

    Man how much training is needed to make a detailed sculpture like that? Wouldn't surprise me if someone makes something like this with freespinning wheels in a few years.

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    They adapted to the chilly weathers so well, they actually celebrate it and do that in the best way possible - they've been throwing marvelous winter festivities for the last 36 years during the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

    #3

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Rincewind42 Report

    TheCakeIsAPie
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Oh my god how people can make such detailed things with ice is amazing. I struggle to get it out of the ice tray without it breaking.

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    The 36th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival opened on the 5th of January and is themed "Ice Snow Integration, Happy to Go Together", giving a lot of freedom for sculptors to express their creativity.

    #4

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    channel4news Report

    Canada crazy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    ice palace! if i was a penguin i would live there

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    Harbin carved it's name strongly into all the books of popular winter destinations with it's annual winter wonderland that takes approximately 220.000 cubic meters of ice and snow to be built.

    #5

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Author unknown Report

    Ni La
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    How beautiful! I’ve been fascinated by Chinese dragons since I was a kid.

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    The festival attracts up to 15 million visitors annually, according to China Highlights.

    #6

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Steve Langguth Report

    TheCakeIsAPie
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Thats gotta be an expensive sponsorship for Cocacola, how much does a massive ice sculpture cost anyway?

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    The entire 600,000-square-meter area is filled with wonderful ice sculptures this year, the tallest one of them being 150 feet tall.

    #7

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    reforma Report

    TheCakeIsAPie
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Whoa you can walk in it? Imagine how cool it would be to sled down the pathway.

    10,000 workers were brought in to cut, haul and sculpt the ice.

    #8

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    channel4news Report

    Lilli
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    it's so detailed... look at the flowers!!!

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    #9

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Tracy Hunter Report

    Akshaya Kumar
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Devil may cry

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    #10

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Rincewind42 Report

    Canada crazy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    colourful! and big

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    #11

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    niesoe Report

    desert29rat
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Amazing ice castle!

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    #12

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    reforma Report

    TheCakeIsAPie
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Thats really cool (ok that was bad I admit). Its nICE.

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    #13

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    planet_levels Report

    Lucy Lou
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Pic looks a bit out of focus.

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    #14

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Reuters Report

    Canada crazy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    wow

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    #15

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Tracy Hunter Report

    OTTER
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    You’d need a lot of firewood to keep this place warm!!

    #16

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Tracy Hunter Report

    OTTER
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Great for a ‘James Bond’ movie! “Escape from Frozen Island”

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    #17

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    the.independent Report

    Canada crazy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    red! white! blue! green! orange! indigo!

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    #18

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Unknown Report

    Canada crazy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    its an ice city

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    #19

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    reforma Report

    Lilli
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    this gives me Disney World vibes :3

    #20

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    niesoe Report

    Anna Jones
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    Temple of heaven, stunning.

    #21

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    reforma Report

    #22

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    Report

    Canada crazy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    ice city #2

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    #23

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    niesoe Report

    #24

    Harbin-Ice-Snow-Sculpture-Festival-China

    niesoe Report

    Judith Braunfeld
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    All this from ice!!!

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