Harbin ice city: Get a first look at these amazing sculptures made of ice and light
- Published
These amazing sights are all part of the Ice and Snow festival in the city of Harbin in northeast China. Building work has been going on there since December 2018, ahead of the official opening of the show on 4th January 2019.
Harbin claims to be the largest snow and ice festival in the world, it is open for a month and attracts over a million visitors each year. We'd love to go - it certainly looks amazing!
But visiting and working there is a seriously chilly business - the cold winds mean temperatures can drop to an icy -25 degrees Celsius. Wow - better wrap up warm!
The elaborate ice buildings and intricately carved sculptures are made from blocks cut from the frozen Songhua River, one of the primary rivers in China.
Blocks weighing up to 700 kilograms each (that's about the weight of a big cow) are shaped to different themes recreating animals and architectural wonders. Multi-coloured lights give the structures a dazzling glow.
The sculptures include full-sized illuminated ice buildings which mean you can walk around them like a real city. The nickname of the city of Harbin is "The pearl on the swan's neck."
The show is celebrating its 35th birthday this year - do you think these look a bit like birthday candles?
- Published13 March 2018
- Published21 December 2018
- Published10 April 2018
