By Liam Zanyk McLean

World’s Largest Ice Festival Set for Launch in Frigid Harbin

By Liam Zanyk McLean

Tourists from across China and the world flock to Harbin for its annual ice and snow festival, braving frigid temperatures.

With daily average temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius below zero in January, Harbin in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang Province is an unlikely place to find a winter holiday destination. But as the city’s annual ice and snow festival is set to kick off on Jan. 5, 2017, tourists from both China and abroad will flock to the city to see the world’s largest collection of ice sculptures.

The festival, which began in its current form in 1999, is now entering its 18th edition. Lasting until the beginning of March, the 2017 ice and snow festival will feature the theme of China’s“Bright Pearl of Ice and Snow”, showcasing Harbin’s unique characteristics as China’s northernmost major city, with ice sculptures depicting some of the city’s most recognizable features, such as its Russian architecture. Ice sculptures carry on a variety of forms, including depictions of animals, buildings and even giant bottles of beer.

The sculptures are crafted using thick blocks of ice cut from the Songhua River, which flows 1,400 kilometers from the Changbai Mountains on the China-North Korea border all the way to northern Heilongjiang, passing through Harbin as it flows.

Harbin is the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia. Icy Siberian winds give the city its uniquely cold winters — and lots of snow.

The sculptures themselves are craTh-ed by an international team of artists who are widely respected in the field of snow and ice sculpting. At night, the ice is illuminated by lights in a variety of colors, giving visitors stunning views as temperatures plummet.

Indonesian Elvina Febriani, who visited the festival in January 2016, said she was deeply impressed by the sculptures, even if she had trouble handling the cold weather at first.

“The sculptures were mesmerizing,”Febriani said. “Coming from Indonesia,which is a tropical country, the cold is definitely something that was difficult for me to get used to. But it’s definitely worth visiting.”

Febriani, 25, lives in Jakarta, Indonesia’s bustling capital. Jakarta’s temperatures hover around 30 degrees Celsius year-round, and except for the rainy season, it’s typically sunny.

“I’ve never seen that much snow in one place, let alone being sculpted. That’s why I think everyone should go to the festival at least once in their life,”Febriani added.

Though it may seem counterintuitive due to the rapid nighttime drop in temperature, the evening is the most popular time to visit the festival, thanks to the stunning illumination of the sculptures. Tickets are sold for 150 yuan (US$21) during daylight hours and 300 yuan (US$42) after sunset — though sunset usually occurs around 4 p.m. in January.

The 2017 edition of the festival will cover three important Chinese festivals— New Year’s Day, the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival.

Historical Origins

Ice lanterns began as a winter tradition in the area as early as the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as villagers placed candles within cylindrical columns of ice to illuminate their streets. Such candles had the added benefit of being windproof.

Since then, ice lanterns have been a part of the culture in Heilongjiang, as local residents have looked for ways to illuminate their streets during long winter nights.

The first incarnations of the event as a tourist attraction began in 1985, when the festival was hosted in Zhaolin Park, near the city center. The site of the festival has since been moved to the Sun Island on the north side of the Songhua River, which can be accessed by taxi or bus conveniently from the city center.

In 2001, the festival was tied into Heilongjiang’s International Ski Festival and officially renamed the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. In 2007, the festival featured the world’s largest-ever snow sculpture —a tribute to Canadian doctor Norman Bethune. Bethune, who died in 1939, is famous in China for his humanitarian service to the country during World War II. His 9-meter-tall snow sculpture was built using 13,000 cubic meters of snow. It depicted prominent Canadian landmarks.

Due to the city’s proximity to Russia, it has a long history of interaction and exchange with its northern neighbor. Even today, Harbin’s Russian population is fairly large and Russian restaurants are found all over the city.

Top: An international team of artists are behind the festival’s stunning sculptures.

Bottom: The 2017 edition of the festival is set to be themed “Bright Pearl of Ice and Snow”.

Charming Dongbei

China’s northeastern provinces (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning) are together known asDongbeiin Chinese. The region features a variety of unique cultural and culinary characteristics.

Much of Harbin’s architecture, particularly that found at the city’s Central Street, which leads to the Songhua River, is in a Russian style. Due to the city’s proximity to Russia, it has a long history of interaction and exchange with its northern neighbor. Even today, Harbin’s Russian population is fairly large and Russian restaurants are found all over the city.

The Central Street is 1.5 kilometers long, and cars are prohibited from entering, making it one of the longest pedestrian streets in East Asia. Shops adorn both sides of the street and range from international clothing brands to local culinary delicacies, including locally-produced bread and ice cream (which is most popularly consumed in winter).

Included in the unique structures found in downtown Harbin is the Saint Sophia Cathedral, the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in East Asia. The cathedral stands 53.3 meters high, and now contains an art gallery.

Febriani was impressed with the architectural features she found in Harbin.

“I didn’t feel like I was in a Chinese city,” she said. “The buildings are really interesting. They look European.”

The city’s cuisine, too, is considerably different compared to the rest of China. Northeastern food is known to be hearty and contains lots of meat. One of the most well-known regional dishes isguobaorou, which is composed of thickly-sliced and breaded pieces of pork, which are then fried and sweetened with a slight orange flavor.

“Another thing about Harbin that impressed me was how kind the people were,” Febriani added. “The people are curious about who you are and where you are from. It’s heartwarming.”

Indeed, people in Harbin are proud of their reputation of being welcoming.

“I think it’s one of those things that makes us unique,” said Deng Diyuan, a Harbin native who now attends university in the United States. “I always encourage people to visit Harbin. The city is not too big, the people are so friendly and it’s an interesting place to be.”