China dazzles with spectacular winter wonderland
Every year, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival brightens the dark days of winter with an amusement park made entirely of ice.
Fleeting freeze
It's a good thing this dragon can't breathe fire. The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in northeast China's Heilongjiang province is short enough as it is, lasting only as long as it takes for the ice to melt.
'City of ice'
The 26th edition of the annual festival, also known as the City of Ice, officially opened on December 21 in Harbin, which has a population of around 10 million. The event is known as the largest ice festival in the world.
Hard work
Preparation for the annual event began weeks ago, with workers carving blocks of ice out of the frozen Songhua River.
Frigid fun
Like any amusement park, the Harbin festival offers plenty of opportunities for fun, such as 500-meter (1,600-foot)-long slides and a Ferris wheel — though the latter isn't made of ice. The ephemeral amusement park is somewhat reminiscent of Disneyland, though only in the evening when the colored lights illuminate the gigantic ice sculptures.
Cold light of day
In daylight hours, the park looks more like a concrete jungle, or perhaps an ice desert. But regardless of the sun's location in the winter sky, visitors flock to the festival to experience all it has to offer.
Chilly wait
Those who frequent theme parks know that lining up can be part of the fun. At the Harbin festival, the freezing cold temperatures add to the shiver of anticipation.
Say freeze!
One of the rewards for braving the queues and cold: great photos. This image highlights how the festival's huge ice formations are built, block by block.
Time is short
Just like the ephemeral nature of snowflakes, the festival's time is short. If the temperatures remain cold enough, the park could stay open until February. But once springtime approaches, the fun is over — until next winter, that is.