The 17th Harbin Ice and Snow World, in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province will start a pre-operation run, on Dec 25, according to the operator, the Harbin Culture & Tourism Group.

It will bring in a large amount of ice for artists to create sculptures out of early next month.
Artist’s rendering of main tower at this year’s Ice and Snow World, in Harbin [Photo/my399.com]

The company has invited artists from the Netherlands and a prominent local architectural design and research institute to help build a wonderland of ice and snow for visitors with four themes, for example, “Adventures on the Silk Road”, “Snow and Winter Olympics”, and “Impressions of Heilongjiang”., The main tower will use the “Silk Road” as an inspiration and look like revolving silk ribbons from different perspectives. It is expected to consume more ice than any display in past years. Other highlights will be a combination of light, shadow, colors and rhythm to give visitors a unique experience with an artificial starry sky.
Ice sculptures glisten at night at Ice and Snow World, Harbin, in 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first Ice and Snow World took place in 1999 and has become the main venue of the city’s annual ice sculpture exhibition, with ice and snow tourism and unique cultural charm. It is also the largest ice and snow tourism project in the world.