Harbin Ice Snow Festival Facts

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is full name of this event; Harbin Ice Festival or Harbin Ice Snow Festival in short, Harbin Ice Lantern Festival, Harbin Ice Sculpture Festival and Harbin Snow Festival is called by some people. Now The Harbin Ice Festival has already been renowned as one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, together with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.

Origin
Harbin Ice Festival was originated from local Harbiner traditional ice lantern show garden party in winter since 1963. It had been interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution but had been resumed in 1983. The Harbin city governors got a festival sponsor idea when they led Hong Kong officals to the ice lantern show and earned a praise in 1983. Then the first Harbin Ice Festival held with grand ceremony at Zhaolin Park on January 5 in 1985 and was announced as an annual event lasting a month. In 2001, Harbin Ice Festival was merged with Heilongjiang International Ski Festival and got its new formal name China Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

Sponsors
Heilongjiang Provincial Government, Harbin Municipal Government, Harbin Tourism Administration

Opening Dates
The grand festival opening ceremony is annually launched on January 5 at the Harbin International Conference Exhibition and Sports Center and featured by welcoming speeches, fireworks display and a series of theatrical performances.

Though Harbin Ice Festival officially opens on January 5 every year, the organizers often start to prepare and build everything for the events from early last November. The locals begin to celebrate the festival from the third week of December of the previous year after most of the ice lanterns, ice and snow sculptures are accomplished. the festival usually last until February 28 or the late February depends on the weather conditions and activities.

Theme Parks & Main Venues
Harbin Ice and Snow World Ice Sculptures, Ice Lantern Show (Ice Lantern Park Fair/Ice Lantern Fair/Ice Lantern Fair Party) in Zhaolin Park, Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, opening ceremony at Harbin International Conference Exhibition and Sports Center. The whole city of Harbin celebrate the Ice and Snow Festival, the Songhua River, all streets, parks and ski resorts are the venues of the festival, some famous venues are the west of the Sun Island, Zhaolin Park, Sun Island, Songhua River, and Stalin Park.

Top Harbin Festival Tour Attractions
Songhua River Tourist Area, Sun Island, Zhaolin Park, Stalin Park, Siberian Tiger Park, St. Sofia Church, Bliss Temple, The Mosque, China's Snow Town, Yabuli Ski Resort, Jihua and Erlongshan Ski Resort.

What's on Activities
The grand festival opening ceremony is annually launched on January 5 at the Harbin International Conference Exhibition and Sports Center and featured by welcoming speeches, fireworks display and a series of theatrical performances. what's more important, the Harbin festival hosts a wide range of activities such as the Ice Lantern Show, the snow sculptures park fair, international competitions for ice and snow sculptures; winter swimming, ice sailing, speed skating, mountain skiing and cross-field skiing competitions; the ice and snow film art festival, exhibitions of paintings, calligraphy and photos, performances of folk songs and dances, and wedding ceremonies on ice, in addition to economic and trade talks, commodities fairs and trade fairs.

Harbin Ice Snow Sculpture Competitions & Events

Harbin International Winter Swimming Invitation Game Tournament

All Top Previous Harbin Ice Festivals
The 1st Harbin Ice Festival in 1985
The event was featured by the 11th Ice Lantern Garden Party, the 4th local Ice Sculpture Competition, the second International Ice Sculpture Show in Zhaolin Park; as well as iceboating, ice sledding, winter swimming and more activities around the Songhua River. The festival attracted about 2 millions visitor from over 24 countries and regions and let the world know Harbin City.

The 24th Harbin Ice Festival in 2008
Themed as "Ice Snow Olympic", the event was marked by fireworks set off at the opening of the 24th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2008. The gala, opened on Saturday, will last over two months, The festival sent the best wishes for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The 26th Harbin Ice Festival in 2010
2010 festival opened on January 5th, and would remain open until some time in February. In frigid northeastern China, in the city of Harbin hosted its 26th annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Massive buildings built of ice from the frozen surface of the nearby Songhua River, large scale snow sculptures, ice slides, festival food and drinks can be found in several parks in the city. At night, visitors who endure the bitter cold will see the lights switched on, illuminating the sculptures from both inside and outside.

The 27th Harbin Ice Festival in 2011
An enormous pavilion in China's Heilongjiang province was instantly transformed to a sparkling fairyland with the launch of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival on Jan. 5 2011. One of the largest ice-carving events of its kind, the festival featured giant pagodas, skyscrapers, an Egyptian Sphinx and even a full-scale Disney castle rendered entirely in ice, CNN is reporting. Now in its 27th year, the event also offers a wide range of wintry activities, including ice swimming, hot air ballooning and other sports, as well as a fireworks display.

The 29th Harbin Ice Festival in 2013
An annual winter carnival has opened in the north-east China city of Harbin. The month-long Harbin ice and snow festival, one of the world's four largest, officially starts in January 5th 2013. The largest snow sculpture is 120 metres (390 feet) long, while the "Crystal Castle", an ice-carving project finished in December, towers over the winter theme park at a height of 48 metres (160 feet).

The 30th Harbin Ice Festival in 2014
Themed as "50-year Ice Snow, Charming Harbin", the 30th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival Opening is launched on January 5 in 2014 at the Harbin International Conference Exhibition and Sports Center. The festival activities are related to ice snow tourism, trade, physical sports and game, culture of ice lanterns and art of snow sculptures... to meet various needs of winter holiday leisure.

The 31th Harbin Ice Festival in 2015
The 31th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival opens with a theme "Happy Ice Snow, Exciting City" on January 5 in 2015. The festival is featured by grand opening ceremony, fireworks display and a series of theatrical performances, ice snow activities in Sun Island, Ice and Snow Amusement World, Zhaolin Park and more venues around ice city Harbin.