china prepares to open 2016 harbin ice festival

china prepares to open 2016 harbin ice festival
image by stringer/ reuters

january and february sees the opening of the annual international harbin ice festival in the province of heilongjiang in northeastern china. thousands of blocks of ice are made and stacked to create not only an individual structure but an entire city complete with ice skating, dog sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, winter swimming, luxury ice hotels and siberian tiger watching. impressive structures including castles and towers form an icy urban center illuminated by a visually stunning array of of vibrant colors. apart from the architectural attractions visitors can enjoy an expansive sculpture park featuring works from an array of international artists that exhibits the impressive qualities of snow and ice.

view of the neon ice cityscape
image courtesy harbin ice festival

image courtesy international business times

large structures of ice block house various activities and ammenities for tourists to enjoy
image courtesy international business times

image courtesy of the atlantic

ice maze
image courtesy of the atlantic

bird’s eye view of the city
image courtesy international business times

a series of sculptures from international artists display the possibilities of building with snow and ice
image by fred dufour/AFP

image courtesy of the atlantic

image by kim kyung-hoon/reuters

image by fred dufour/AFP

image courtesy of harbin ice festival