In the month of January, Harbin in northeast China has an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius below zero. It may be too cold for some things, but it's the ideal place to create a world of ice and snow. That's why the annual Harbin Ice & Snow Festival will open there in January. Let's get a preview of some of the highlights.
Artists from around the world might be putting the final touches to their works, but the art performance by Russian artists has heralded the Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival to be open next month.
For its 27th year, the festival has chosen the theme of "Merry Ice and Snow, Passionate City." Once all the works are in place, the city of Harbin will be transformed into a frosted fairyland.
Every year, Ice and Snow World is the foremost highlight of the event, and also the biggest of its kind in the world. This year, organizers have teamed up with Disney to construct a Disney Ice and Snow Wonderland. It will take up an area of 600-thousand square meters, three times the size of last year.
Other big draws at the event will be a cross-country skiing festival, art performances on ice, and a ten-thousand-meter Ice and Snow Happy Valley built on the frozen Songhua River.
During the event, every corner of Harbin will be filled with ice and snow sculptures helping visitors to feel the charm of an icy world.