The festival of snow and ice

5 January in the Chinese city of Harbin, opened the International Festival of snow and ice, which has become a traditional event since 1963, the year.







The capital of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China is the world's founder of Culture of snow and ice. Harbin borders with Siberia and is influenced by the cold winds blowing from there. In winter, the average temperature is -16 to 8 ° C, but may drop to -38, 1 ° C, so that problems with the preservation of ice masterpiece arises.





By the way, for their creation it was used 180,000 cubic meters of ice and 160 000 cubic meters of snow. 60 sculptors will be 20 teams competed in the ability to realize their fantasies into reality ice.





The opening of the festival was marked by a grand fireworks



and dance performance



Visitors walk on foot, and yet they can explore the exhibition on a horse or take a ride on the territory of a special tram.













Ice city looks spectacular in the evening under floodlights



but as beautiful as it is, and at sunset



Someone raised the icy locks the ladder,







and someone using ice axes:



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