Harbin’s World Famous Ice Festival: A Magnet for WU Participants

 Harbin is labeled as the Ice Capital of China and with ten ice stadiums for all ice sports it’s obviously the cradle for quite some Chinese athletes who excel in ice sports. However, the city harbors also the ‘Harbin Ice and Snow Festival’, which is China’s most original and greatest ice artwork festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of local people and visitors from all over the world.

Delegates of the 2013 WU OC of Maribor (SLO) enjoying the Ice Sculptures in Harbin

The city’s location in northeast China accounts for its arctic climate which provides abundant natural ice and snow. Subsequently, the ‘Ice City’ of Harbin is recognized as the cradle of ice and snow art in China and is famous for its exquisite and artistic ice and snow sculptures. The fabulous Ice Lantern Festival was the forerunner of the current festival and is still the best loved part of the overall event in the opinion of all who come to Harbin each year.

First set-up by the Harbin Municipal Government in 1999, Harbin Ice and Snow World is by far the largest ice and snow art exhibition in the world. It is commonly referred to as possessing four of the key ‘mosts’: the most art attractions, the most beautiful night views, the most recreational activities and the most forms of entertainment. Furthermore, the festival is constantly evolving and each year brings with it a new theme, providing visitors with a totally unique experience from one year to the next.

The ice carvings at the Harbin Ice and Snow World are regarded as some of the world’s finest examples of ice art, with visitors able to admire some of the largest and most majestic ice-sculpted masterpieces. Each of these ice carvings is designed in some way related to the festival’s theme, enabling travelers to sample a variety of cultural flavors. One of the highlights for any visitor to the festival is to visit the site at night when multicolored lights set underground illuminate the sculptures, revealing a whole new colorful dimension to the exhibits. The contrasts of the bright and dazzling lights against the dark night sky make the works look all the more spectacular.

Without doubt, the Ice Festival will be a magnet attracting lots of Winter Universiade participants in search for some cultural sites to visit. As was the case yesterday, when FISU Media encountered a part of the Slovenian delegation/and future hosts of the 2013 WU in Maribor at the festival grounds. ‘Fantastic, but really cold’, Mr. Otmar Kugovnik, President of SUSA, the Slovenian Member Association of FISU, told FISU Media. ‘Don’t miss it when you’re in Harbin, but dress warm.’ Don’t tell us we didn’t warn you …

More info on //www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/heilongjiang/harbin/ice-and-snow-world.htm