First held in 1993, Shenyang International Ice and Snow Festival is one of China's increasingly celebrated winter tourist events. The festival combines recreation, sports and sight-seeing and it attracts millions of visitors from around the world each year. The festival has become a major contributor to the prosperity of tourism in Shenyang as well as Liaoning Province as a whole.

Dependent upon the weather, the festival can last for up to a month during the period from December to February and always gets under way with a magnificent opening ceremony. The Dongbeiya Ski Resort, the Qipanshan (Chessboard Hill) Ski Resort, and the Baiqingzhai Ski Resort are the main venues involved. There are three sections for the festival: the Ice and Snow Sculpture Area, the Entertainment Area and the Alpine Skiing Area.

Ice and Snow Sculpture Area
In this area, visitors can admire all manner of ice-carvings and snow sculptures all of which are strikingly true to life. Grand and imposing images of animals, portraits, palaces and natural sceneries are exhibited. For example, for the 2007 Ice and Snow Festival, the Daminggong Palace was replicated in accordance with the design of the real palace built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was the biggest snow sculpture in the history of the festival. Juyongguan Pass was another sculpture created on the lines of the actual pass on the Great Wall in Beijing. There was also the First Slide under Heaven. This ice feature was not just a visual attraction but could be used by visitors. These three magnificent sculptures were the highlights in 2007's Shenyang International Ice and Snow Festival.

Entertainment Area
The Entertainment Area provides visitors with different kinds of skiing equipment for their enjoyment. There is a wide variety of ice and snow events, such as golf, racing, night skating, shooting from horse back and football on the snow. Every year, additional sports and activities are devised to provide visitors with new and exciting attractions.

Alpine Skiing Area
Visitors can rent skiing equipment, and so enjoy to the full an invigorating and fascinating winter holiday. With all the glamour associated with alpine skiing, this area provides an opportunity to discover the splendid natural surroundings. There are four alpine ski runs served by five cable ski-lifts that give access to a total area of 200,000 sq meters (49.4 acres) on the mountain.

Special performances are staged during the festival, such as folklore shows, circus performances, fire dragon and traditional Man ethnic minority dances. The program of events changes each year to incorporate new and exciting activities. For instance, in 2007 there were sleds pulled by reindeers driven by Santa Clause and autos driven on the ice. For the keen photographer great views of the ice and snow world may be seen from big balloons drifting in the sky. Commercial interests are catered for in special regions for business services, aiming to facilitate international and national economic intercourses and transactions.

The organizers of the Shenyang International Ice and Snow Festival strive to make the event attractive and exhilarating for everyone from home and abroad and are looking forward to its continuing success with confidence and enthusiasm. It is undoubtedly a not to be missed destination for visitors traveling in China during the winter.

Tips for 2008 Shenyang International Ice and Snow Festival:

Time: January 8, 2008-February 28, 2008
Location: Dongbeiya Ski Resort, Qipanshan (Chessboard Hill) Ski Resort, Baiqingzhai Ski Resort and Beiling Park.