• Aerial photo of Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. The Ice and Snow World Park will host the 36th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival from Sunday, January 5 until the end of February. Getty Images
    Aerial photo of Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. The Ice and Snow World Park will host the 36th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival from Sunday, January 5 until the end of February. Getty Images
  • Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • Tourists take pictures at an ice sculpture at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
    Tourists take pictures at an ice sculpture at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
  • Tourists slide on an ice sculpture at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
    Tourists slide on an ice sculpture at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
  • Chinese workers makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Chinese workers makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • Chinese workers makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Chinese workers makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • An aerial view shows ice sculptures illuminated at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
    An aerial view shows ice sculptures illuminated at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
  • Tourists visit the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Tourists visit the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • Chinese workers makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Chinese workers makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • A Chinese worker makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    A Chinese worker makes an ice sculpture during the Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • An aerial view shows ice sculptures illuminated at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
    An aerial view shows ice sculptures illuminated at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
  • A tourist sits on an ice bike at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
    A tourist sits on an ice bike at the Harbin Ice and Snow World festival in Harbin, in China's northeast Heilongjiang province. AFP
  • Aerial photo of Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Aerial photo of Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
  • Aerial photo of Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images
    Aerial photo of Harbin Ice and snow world in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Getty Images

A frozen city: constructions unveiled at China's Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival – in pictures

170,000 cubic metres of ice bricks have been used to build a city of ice in northern China

Farah Andrews
Farah Andrews
Dubai

January 04, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

A "Kingdom of Snow" has been built in China, as the 2020 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival prepares to open on Sunday, January 5.

Tourists will be able to explore the festival and its stunning sub-zero constructions across 148-acres in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province.

The world's largest ice festival, it took 10,000 workers 15 days to build, after almost a month of spent cutting 170,000 cubic metres of ice bricks from the nearby Songhua River, enough to fill 70 Olympic swimming pools.

This year, the festival has an "Ice Snow Integration, Happy to Go Together" theme, across five categories: activities of tourism, culture, fashion, trade and sports.

Click through the gallery above to see photos of the Harbin's ice and snow sculptures. 

Guests from around the world visit the festival every year, with tours that include snow sports, city highlights and ice lantern shows.

China