The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, an annual winter event known as the world’s largest ice and snow festival featuring massive sculptures and a variety of winter activities, has opened for the season on 17 December.
Unveiling its most spectacular edition yet across a record 1.2 million square metres of park area when the temperature in Harbin can drop to -30°C (-22°F), the festival is slated to last till end February when the ice will start to melt. The official opening ceremony will be held on 5 January 2026.
Harbin, located in northeast China, is known for its unique Russian-influenced architecture, like the St. Sophia Cathedral, a legacy of its history with the Trans-Siberian Railway, blending European charm with Chinese culture featured in stunning modern structures like the Harbin Opera House alongside historic Russian Orthodox churches.
Beyond winter sports and ice wonders, it offers year-round activities at places like Sun Island Park and the Siberian Tiger Park. Harbin is accessible via Harbin Taiping International Airport and high-speed trains from major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Key Venues and Attractions
- Harbin Ice and Snow World: The main highlight, this massive theme park features full-sized buildings, castles, and intricate sculptures made entirely from ice blocks harvested from the Songhua River. The sculptures are brilliantly illuminated with colorful lights at night, creating a magical atmosphere. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of activities like ice slides, ice biking, and winter sports.
- Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo: This venue is dedicated to enormous and detailed snow sculptures, with international competitions held here annually. It is best visited during the daytime to appreciate the intricate details of the white sculptures.
- Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair: This historic downtown park hosts the traditional and more intimate ice lantern show, where artisans create beautiful lanterns and small-scale ice scapes. This exhibition has been a local tradition since the 1960s.
Other key highlights
The Super Ice Slides retained its 24-lane layout and extended its longest track to 521 metres, while the 120-metre sky wheel also reopened, giving visitors a bird’s-eye view of every winter wonder in the park.
At the park’s entrance, dance and drum performances, along with cans of “First-day Ice,” were specially offered to welcome early visitors. Collected during Harbin’s previous ice-cutting festival, the ice symbolises good fortune in local custom.
This year’s ice sculptures showcase a dazzling blend of historical and contemporary marvels from around the globe that include dazzling replicas of central China’s Yellow Crane Tower, Harbin’s Chinese Baroque-style and Belgium’s Manneken-Pis.
The park has introduced new performances and activities, including singing competitions, dance battles and fantasy indoor shows. Apart from the free hot drinks and guided services, a 5,000-square-metre air-supported dome is now open in the park to offer visitors a warm retreat.
Strong economic driver
Harbin, called China’s “ice city,” has turned its long, cold winters into a major tourist attraction. Last winter, this capital city of Heilongjiang Province welcomed a record 90.36 million visitors, generating about 137.22 billion yuan or US$19.44 billion in revenue, a 16.6 percent increase year on year.
Last winter, the park attracted a record-breaking 3.56 million tourist visits during its 68-day operation, boosting the market size of the ice and snow economy in Heilongjiang to reach 266.17 billion yuan (about US$37.8 billion).
The park has also streamlined payment services, allowing tourists to use overseas bank cards for ticket purchases and access to multilingual guides, enhancing the experience for international visitors.
