As New Year comes, China’s northern region has turned into a frosty ice kingdom.
As New Year comes, China’s northern region has turned into a frosty ice kingdom.
Harbin welcomes its guests with hundreds of ice sculptures lit up in neon lights in a park as part of ice festival celebrations
Harbin, China’s ‘City of Ice’, will host its annual winter festival with a breath-taking frozen city. The magical colourful kingdom boasts three neon-lit theme parks all created from ice. Incredible drone footage captures the 197-acre, rainbow-coloured city, which features iconic landmarks from all over the world, including Russia’s St. Petersburg, Japan’s Kanazawa Castle and the famous silk road.
This year marks the 34th year of Harbin hosting the festival to promote the city as top winter travel destination in China
The ice sculptures can be seen lit up with colourful neon lights.
This is the 34th consecutive year that Harbin has hosted the festival through which visitors could experience temperature as low as minus 30 degrees while playing in the park.
The light show on the ice sculptures can display different light effects as shown on these rocket-shape towers
The theme of this year’s International Ice and Snow Festival is ‘Pearl on the Ice Crown in Harbin’.
Some of the attractions were unveiled to visitors by the end of December as part of the soft opening. The official opening is set to take place on January 5, 2018.
The famous festival located in Heilongjiang province began in 1985.
The festival is set to open on January 5 but some such as the ice-snow world launches soft opening to public in December
Visitors can walk up the staircases to get a closer look of the Russian onion dome-like buildings
Apparently, the ice sculptures are also devoted to celebrate China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, which was unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 and envisages linking China with Africa, Asia and Europe through a network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks. Landmarks along the ancient Silk Road and from the countries involving in the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative are presented in the ice city, including the Haedong Yonggung Temple in Busan, South Korea, the onion dome-like buildings in Russia and Kanazawa Castle in Japan. It also features a life-size icy map of China’s hit mobile game, King of Glory. Harbin government aims to promote the city as China’s top winter travel destination as they roll out ice-sculpting competitions, outdoor hot springs, and winter sports, reported People’s Daily Online.
There are ice rinks and ice bumper cars as well as a giant 365-metre-long (1,197 feet) slide made with ice.
In these stunning photographs the festival’s amazing sculptures are seen illuminated from the inside after nightfall – with visitors meandering in between the impressive works.
They can walk on ice bridges that connects to the sculpture of temples whilst others can climb up the staircases of ice cathedral and towers.
The ice festival will last until the beginning of March when the snow starts to melt.
In the theme of ‘One Belt One Road’ initiatives, visitors will be able to walk along the ice-cold Silk Road in the park
The city will host the festival along with other ice related sports, arts and entertainment until the beginning of March
Source & Photo: Dailymail
