Attend the Harbin International Ice Festival with your family and make your snow king/queen dream come true in China's Ice World. Content Preview. Recommended Days for Seeing the Harbin Ice Festival; Location and Venue for the Ice Festival; How to Plan a Harbin Ice Festival Tour; Travel Tips: 2 Don'ts and 1 Must-Do; Facts on Harbin Ice Festival It is expected to last from January 5 to March of 2025, covering three important Chinese festivals – New Year's Day, Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival. A variety of activities about ice and snow, concerning tourism, culture, fashion, the economy and trade and sports, will welcom all tourists. Recommended Harbin Ice Festival 2025 Tours. 3-day Harbin Ice Festival Tour. 5-day Unforgettable Harbin and China's Snow Town Tour. 6-day Harbin China's Snow Town and Yabuli Ski Tour. 4-day Harbin Ice Festival Highlights Tour. 4-day Harbin Ice and Snow World & Jihua Ski Resort Tour. 7-day Essential Beijing and Harbin Ice Festival Tour. 4-day Ice sculpture of the Sphinx erected for the 2010 festival. Swing saws are used to carve ice into blocks, taken from the frozen surface of the Songhua River. [13] Chisels, ice picks and various types of saws are then used by ice sculptors to carve out large scaled ice sculptures, [14] many of them intricately designed [13] and worked on all day and night prior to the commencement of the festival. This year marks the 41st International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin. The official opening ceremony took place on January 5, and the festival runs through the end of February or early March (depending on when the ice starts melting). The frozen festival spans multiple venues and attracts millions of visitors every year. In 2024 we travelled to China mid-February, with a big dream of visiting Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin. We were surprised that the train was completely empty on the way there, bacause it was right after the Chinese New Year, still during the travel rush. Ice Festival Period: January 5th - mid-February; Temperature: -13°F to 5°F (-25°C to -15°C) Crowds: Highest during Chinese New Year; Hotel Prices: Peak rates, book 2-3 months ahead; 🌟Pro tip: If Harbin is the only cold place you are going to, you can rent warm clothes online! 🧤Rent your warm Harbin gear! Shoulder Season (November & March) The annual Harbin Ice Festival, the world's largest event of its kind, has been held since 1963. While interrupted during the Cultural Revolution, it resumed in 1985 and now stands alongside Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival as one of the top four ice and snow festivals globally During this period, it encompasses four significant festive events: New Year, Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Festival), and a skiing festival. Best Time to travel: avoid the Chinese New Year (Feb 9 - 15, 2024) because it will be very crowded and very expensive. Best time to visit Harbin » The 2025 Harbin Ice and Snow Festival opening ceremony in Harbin Ice and Snow World starts on January 5, 2025. History of Harbin Ice Festival. On January 5, 1985, the Harbin authority announced that it would designate January 5 as the annual Ice and Snow Festival, based on the traditional Ice Lantern Festival. No matter what type of activity you choose, the Harbin Ice Festival provides a unique opportunity to explore the beauty and fun that winter brings! Best Days for Seeing the Harbin Snow Festival. For starters, visitors should plan their itinerary around the dates of Chinese New Year which usually falls between January 21st and February 20th Activities during the 41st Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (Harbin Ice Festival 2025) With so many events to choose from, it is nice to arrive in Harbin and get an idea of what activities are available for the public and what would you like to do. These are the key activities in Harbin during the Ice Festival. More on Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. Harbin — Ice and Snow Festival and Skiing. Harbin is the most popular winter destination for winter activities among Chinese, expats in China, and foreign tourists. Harbin's bone-chilling winters provide the proper climate for the city's most prominent claim to fame. Unlike most of the other Chinese Traditional Festival sets, which reference and commemorate key Chinese New Year traditions, there isn’t a tradition where we all go ice skating at Chinese New Year. The inspiration for the set is a very China-centric one – the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival , a massive winter wonderland Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31, the eyes of the world turn once more to the fantastic Harbin Ice and Snow World. Anticipation runs high. New Year's Eve at this theme park has become more than just a celebration — it's a tradition of the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Special celebration dates (New Year, Chinese New Year) December 31: New Year’s Eve special events; January 1: New Year’s Day ceremony and performances; February 10-17, 2025: Chinese New Year festival peak; February 24: Lantern Festival celebrations; Special ticket packages available for celebration dates; Photography timing recommendations The Harbin Ice Sculpture Festival features intricate ice blocks carved into palaces, figures, and scenes that shine brighter than a Chinese lantern festival during the Harbin winter. Whether you're travelling by high-speed train or hopping on a bullet train, this is your guide to everything you need to know before you visit Harbin Ice Festival. At the Harbin Ice-Snow World, a theme park dedicated to the Asian Winter Games, visitors are treated with a spectacular drone show celebrating the Chinese New Year. The park also features a variety of ice sculptures with festive themes, including a carp symbolizing prosperity and the Chinese character Fu (meaning good fortune) carved in ice. The Harbin Ice Sculpture Festival features intricate ice blocks carved into palaces, figures, and scenes that shine brighter than a Chinese lantern festival during the Harbin winter. Whether you're travelling by high-speed train or hopping on a bullet train, this is your guide to everything you need to know before you visit Harbin Ice Festival. Heilongjiang Province has abundant ice-and-snow resources, making it a popular destination for winter tourism in China and attracting numerous tourists from home and abroad during the New Year holiday. "Ice city" Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about 832.39
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