Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival 
Harbin Ice Festival Tour: 4 Days
Harbin Ice Festival provides the visitors each year a whole new world of ice and snow. The 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will begin from January 5, 2013 and last for over one month. The best collections of ice artworks are exhibited in the following five main places:
Ice and Snow World
Ice Lantern Garden Party
Sun Island Scenic Area
Yabuli International Ski Resort
Zhaolin Park
The Festival, established in 1985, is held annually from January 5 and lasts for over one month. Harbin is the capital city of Heilongjiang Province and this is China's original and greatest ice artwork festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of local people and visitors from all over the world.
The city's location in northeast China accounts for its arctic climate which provides abundant natural ice and snow. Subsequently, the 'Ice City' of Harbin is recognized as the cradle of ice and snow art in China and is famous for its exquisite and artistic ice and snow sculptures. The fabulous Ice Lantern Festival was the forerunner of the current festival and is still the best loved part of the overall event in the opinion of all who go to that city each year.
The Derivation of the Ice Lantern
The first Ice lanterns were a winter-time tradition in northeast China. During the Qing Dynasty（1644 - 1911), the local peasants and fishermen often made and used ice lanterns as jack-lights during the winter months. At that time these were made simply by pouring water into a bucket that was then put out in the open to freeze. It was then gently warmed before the water froze completely so that the bucket-shaped ice could be pulled out. A hole was chiseled in the top and the water remaining inside poured out creating a hollow vessel. A candle was then placed inside resulting in a windproof lantern that gained great popularity in the region around the city. 
Ice sculptures
From then on, people made ice lanterns and put them outside their houses or gave them to children to play with during some of the traditional festivals. Thus the ice lantern began its long history of development. With novel changes and immense advancement in techniques, today we can marvel at the various delicate and artistic ice lanterns on display.
Today's Ice Lantern
Nowadays, ice lantern in broad sense refers to a series of plastic arts using ice and snow as raw material combining ice artworks with colored lights and splendid music. The specific patterns of ice lantern include ice and snow sculptures, ice flowers, ice architectures and so on.
The Sun Island Park is the site of the Snow Sculpture Exposition displaying a wonderful snow world. It has the world's largest indoor ice and snow art museum and it opens to the public from November every year.
Ice and Snow World came into being in 1999 and is one of the world's largest ice architecture parks. The inspiration for the ice and snow sculptures there usually is derived from traditional Chinese fairy tales or world famous architectures such as the Great Wall, the Egyptian Pyramids, etc.
Zhaolin Park is a 'must see' during the Ice Festival because it has a traditional program that shows the most excellent ice lanterns. With water, lights and the natural ice from the Songhua River running through this city as the material, the ice lanterns are made by freezing water, piling up ice or snow, then carving, enchasing, decorating, etc. The ice lantern park touring activities have been held here annually since 1963 and is said to be one of the most wonderful 35 tourist attractions in China. There are numerous pieces of ice artworks in the park arranged in groups according to different themes depicting Chinese classic masterworks, European folktales and customs and so on. A great variety of objects such as buildings, gardens, flowers, waterfalls, European-styled churches, lions, tigers, dragons are carved from ice. In the daytime, the ice sculptures are magnificent and verisimilitude. Moreover, with the interspersion of the sparkling colored lights embedded in the sculptures at night, the park becomes a glorious and amazing ice world. 
Ice and Snow Festival in Zhaolin Park
Today, the Ice Festival is not only an exposition of ice and snow art, but also an annual cultural event for international exchange. Every year, there are many ice sculpture experts, artists and fans from America, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Russia, China, etc. gathering in this city to participate ice sculpting competitions and to communicate with each other in the ice and snow world. Also, Harbin ice lanterns have been exhibited in most of China's main cities as well as in many countries in Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania. For more than 40 years, the city's local natural resource of ice and snow has been fully explored to provide joy and fun for visitors to the city. Now during the festival, many sporting competitions are also popular including ice-skating, sledding and so on. Weddings, parties and other entertainments are now very much a feature of this ice world, adding their own contribution to the celebrations of this great festival of art, culture, sports and tourism.
| Admission Fee: | Sun Island Park (Snow Sculpture Art Exposition) | Ice and Snow World | Zhaolin Park (Ice Lantern Garden Party ) |
| CNY 240 CNY120 for children between 1.2 m and 1.4 m in height, for students with their valid student ID card and for the elderly between 60 and 69 years old with a valid proof Free for children under 1.2 m in height, for the disabled with a valid proof and for the elderly with a valid proof | 09:00 – 12:00 12:00 – 21:00 | CNY 200 per adult CNY 80 for students with their student ID card CNY 100 for the elderly over 60 years old with a valid proof Free for the elderly over 70 years old with a valid proof | |
| Opening Time: | December 21 (trial operating since December 10) | December 23 (trial operating) | December 21 |
| Operating Hours: | 08:00-17:30 | 09:00-21:00 | 14:00-21:30 |
| Bus Route: | 29, 80, 85, 88 | 88, 125,126 | 8, 53, 74, 83, 113, 114, 206 |
Harbin Bus Search 2013 Ice and Snow Festival HighlightsThe Ice and Snow Festival this year holds dozens of activities in five categories, concerning culture, art, tourism, sports and economy & trade. In the city center, an delicate ice and snow tourist route will be created to present an attractive gallery along the Songhua River. On the opening day of 2013 Ice and Snow Festival – 5th, January, 2013, all the skiing resorts are open to the public for free. In addition, various ice and snow activities can be enjoyed in the Sun Island Scenic Area, Ice and Snow World, Central Street, St. Sophia Church, Siberian Tiger Park and Harbin Polarland during the festival. All kinds of fantastic ice sculptures make you feel in paradise. In general, both of the western and oriental elements are ideally combined in the festival. Just enjoy yourself!
Opening Ceremony: January 5, 2013 (opening ceremonies, free skiing, fire balloon, cocktail party, fireworks celebration).
Activities Schedule:
| Type | Activity | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art | The 39th Ice Lantern Garden Party and the opening ceremony | Dec.21,2012-Feb.2013 | Zhaolin Park |
| The Opening Ceremony of the 25th Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Exposition | Dec.21,2012-Feb.2013 | The Sun Island Scenic Area | |
| The 14th Ice and Snow World | Dec. 23, 2012-Feb.2013 | Ice and Snow World | |
| The 5th International College Students Snow Sculpture Competition | Jan. 1-4, 2013 | Harbin Engineering University | |
| The 18th International Snow Sculpture Competition | Jan.4-6,2013 | The Sun Island Scenic Area | |
| The 27th International Ice Sculpture Competition | Jan. 6-8, 2013 | Zhaolin Park | |
| COOL Special Dance Show on the Ice | Dec. 2012-Feb.2013 | Ice and Snow World | |
| Ice and Snow Cartoon Week | Jan. 2013 | Ice and Snow World | |
| Culture | The Count Down Activity of 2013 New Year | Dec. 31, 2012 | Flood Prevention Cenotaph Square |
| 2013 New Year's Concert and Series Activities | Jan. 5, 2013-Feb. 2013 | Harbin City | |
| The 29th Group Wedding Ceremony on the Ice | Jan. 6, 2013 | Flood Prevention Cenotaph Square | |
| Folk Arts Exhibition | Jan. 10, 2013-Jan. 28, 2013 | Zhaolin Park | |
| The 25th Hundred-Flower Dance Contest of senior people | Jan. 11, 2013 | People's Gymnasium | |
| The 6th International Youth Dance Shows Invitational Tournament | Jan. 23-26, 2013 | Youth Palace | |
| The 15th Paintings and Calligraphy Exhibitions of the International Teachers and Students | Feb. 2013 | No. 123 Exhibition Hall, Zhaolin Street | |
| Sport | China-Russia Winter Swimming Performance | Dec. 28, 2012 - Feb. 20, 2013 | Winter Swimming Pool |
| The 29th Ice and Snow Paradise on the River | Dec. 28, 2012 - Feb. 20, 2013 | Winter Swimming Pool | |
| International Sister Cities Ice Hockey Invitational Competition | Jan. 3-6, 2013 | Ice Hockey Gym | |
| The Youth Snow Sports Competition | Feb. 2013 | Wu Ji Mi Ski Resort | |
| Family Amusement Sports Meeting on the Ice | Jan. 2013 | Dai Xiu Lake Park | |
| Women Ice Hockey League Competition | Jan. 11-15, 2013 | Ice Hockey Gym | |
| Tourism | The 15th Heilongjiang International Skiing Festival | Dec. 2012-Mar. 2013 | Harbin Ski Resort |
| The 3rd Harbin Ice and Snow Happy Valley | Jan. 2-Feb. 2013 | Songhua River | |
| The 3rd Volga Vasaloppet | Dec. 2012-Mar. 2013 | Volga Manor | |
| Golden Dragon Mountain Forest Snow Amusement Festival | Dec. 20, 2012-Feb. 28, 2013 | Golden Dragon Scenic Area | |
| Taiping River Winter Fishing Festival | During the festival | Taiping Lake, Daoli District | |
| Economy and Trade | The 29th Ice and Snow Festival Cold Land Fair | Jan. 5-8, 2013 | Conference and Exhibition Center |
| Large Shopping Mall and Supermarket Promotion Activities | During the festival | Large Shopping Malls and Supermarkets in Harbin |
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