For those who think China does not embrace the winter spirit, Harbin's festivals will be an unexpected delight.
Since 1963 Harbin has hosted the Ice and Snow Festival which showcases an entire themed city cast from ice blocks produced from the Songhua River. The festival includes an international contest in which ice carvers from around the world compete for prizes and in the process create an amazing sculpture garden in Zhaolin Park.
The venues are completely different from day to night. During the day the carvings and slides can be seen as a snowy winterland, but at night the colored lights frozen into the blocks of ice give the parks a fairyland effect.
The festival will open January 5th and close around the end of February. Plane tickets and hotels must be booked in advance as the event draws huge crowds every year. This is also a great opportunity to see Harbin's other major attractions such as the Siberian Tiger Park or to visit one of the areas ski resorts.
The China Guide offers a variety of customizable tours to Harbin on its web site: http://www.thechinaguide.com. To begin planning your tour, email book@thechinaguide.com.
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