Lifestyle
Harbin, a city in northeastern China, has become an internet sensation, attracting millions of visitors eager to experience its winter tourism delights.
Each year, Harbin transforms into a winter wonderland, hosting the world's largest Ice and Snow Festival. The festival features expertly carved ice sculptures, some of them reaching enormous proportions.
"I love it so much. It looks gorgeous. It looks pretty good. I've never seen something like that before and I really like it," said a Russian tourist, in the ice sculpture parks.
The ice sculptures are embedded with LED lights, which illuminate at night to create a mesmerizing effect.
The festival, often referred to as the Ice City, spans over 800,000 square meters with more than 250,000 cubic meters of ice from the frozen Songhua River used for the sculptures.
The latest edition of the festival, which began on December 18 and runs until the end of February, has already attracted over 3 million visitors from home and abroad.
The festival is not just about the sculptures; it also offers a range of other engaging activities. Visitors can enjoy everything from thrilling giant slides to lively daily concerts. Plus, there are plenty of other winter sports activities on the Songhua River. Despite the chilly temperatures, which can drop as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius, Harbin's vibrant atmosphere remains undimmed.
Harbin's rich ice and snow culture has established it as a premier destination for winter tourism in the Far East. The city is also preparing to host the ninth Asian Games in 2025, which will further elevate its profile.
"Our theme this year is 'Happy Ice and Snow, Chasing Dreams in Asian Winter Games'. Today we have snow football, snow volleyball, curling ice discs and other free public service projects. It's to get more people to participate in our snow and ice sports, as a kind of warm-up for the 2025 Asian Winter Games," said He Li, head of the Development and Operations department at the Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival.
With Harbin continuing to gain in popularity on Chinese social media, it's anticipated that the city will break attendance records before the ice starts melting in March.