After a good night’s rest, on Day 2 we visited the Ice and Snow Festival, which is held for only three months each year, from late December to late February.
The entire construction is completed within just two weeks after the Songhua River freezes. Workers harvest massive ice blocks from the frozen river and transport them to artists, who then construct and sculpt ice castles, temples, and even futuristic mountain structures.
The festival is a true reflection of hard work, perseverance, and endurance—showing how the people of Harbin transform a bitter and harsh winter into beauty and art, bringing joy and warmth to the soul.
We purchased our tickets via Trip.com, which was completely hassle-free. We visited on a weekday around noon, and thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded.
The area was enormous, and of course, extremely cold. The temperature was –23°C, and with the open-air setting, icy winds blew straight onto our faces.
There were several free snow activities available, such as ice slides, snow tubing, ice cycling, and more.
After about two and a half hours, we decided to warm ourselves up and had soup for lunch at the indoor pavilion. The pavilion itself felt like a mall, with many eateries, a children’s mini theme park, an ice-skating rink, and even massage chairs.
As sunset came early around 4:30 p.m., we stepped outside just as the lights began to turn on. The ambience completely changed once the illuminations lit up—it felt magical.
We stayed until around 6 p.m. before heading back to the city centre by shuttle bus.
Comments
Post a Comment