The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival attracts thousands of visitors with its impressive ice sculptures made from crystal clear ice.
![Ice Sculptures at the Harbin Snow and Ice Festival](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-harbin-international-snow-and-ice-festival.jpg)
Source: Palm Beach Post
While spring, summer and fall have their upsides, there’s no better time of year than winter. Overflowing mugs of eggnog and warm evenings by the fire are just the start–the season is full of family, warmth and an extra couple of days off of work. Winter also marks the start of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, which officially launches each January in Harbin, China, and is home to some of the world’s most breathtaking ice sculptures.
![Chinese Sculpture at Harbin Festival](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-chinese-mansion.jpg)
Source: NY Daily News
![Colorful Slide Ice Sculptures at Harbin International Festival](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-harbin-ice-slide.jpg)
Source: Wordless Tech
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival began nearly fifty years ago in 1963. While the festival was halted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution, it has since become a beloved attraction that draws thousands of guests each winter.
Aside from the world’s most incredible snow and ice sculptures, visitors will find a number of exciting events that take place annually, including ice and snow sculpture contests, trade fairs, winter sports and folk dance performances.
![Colorful Archway at Harbin Ice Sculptures Festival](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-harbin-blue-archway.jpg)
Source: Robin’s Key
![Crystal Clear Ice Sculptures](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-29th-harbin.jpg)
Source: DiaroDigital
While the massive snow and ice sculptures at the Harbin Festival are impressive in daylight, the real magic of the festival begins at night, when the ice is lit up by brilliant blue, red and green lights. Located in northeast China with average temperatures hovering around a chilly -16.8 degrees Celsius, Harbin is the perfect place for an ice festival. Each year, sculptors and builders take ice directly from the Songhua River for use in the wintry jamboree.
![Harbin Festival Incredible Ice Sculptures](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-china-harbin-international-festival-castle.jpg)
Source: Bhaggi Collections
![Pandas with Ice Sculptures](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-harbin-panda.jpg)
Source: Hungree
![Train Ice Sculptures](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-train.jpg)
Source: Atlas Obscura
One of the festival’s main attractions is Ice and Snow World, which is a collection of ice buildings and structures that make up the festival’s center. Sculptors create each of these structures from ice blocks that are a hefty 2-3 meters thick.
At the Sun Island exposition, another popular festival attraction, attendants will find some of the biggest snow sculptures in the world. The Harbin Festival’s impressive ice sculptures are made possible thanks to modern technological innovations, which allow sculptors to cut, shape and move heavy ice and snow.
![Harbin Artist Sculpting Ice Buddah](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-harbin-making-budda.jpg)
Source: Voice of America
![Neon Ice Sculptures](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-colorful-harbin-archways.jpg)
Source: The LA Times
![Incredible Snow and Ice Sculptures](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ice-sculptures-harbin-massive-snow-sculpture.jpg)
Source: Totally Cool Pix