The 32nd Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will start in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Jan 5, and run through the end of February when ice starts to melt, with more than 100 activities.

This annual event is a major development of the "Ice City", but goes beyond ice and snow to include tourism, culture, fashion, the economy, trade and sports as an international cultural exchange that welcomes tourists from all over the world. It has attracted many ice sculptors, artists and fans from the United States, Canada, Russia and China who come to compete and communicate with each other.

Categories and events

☆ Tourism
Harbin Snow and Ice World and International Snow Sculpture Art Expo on Sun Island, Ice Lantern Art Fair at Zhaolin Park, Ice and Snow Carnival on Central Ave, ski festival and winter camp at Volga Manor, hot spring tourism festival in Binxian county, and fishing contest on Changling Lake

☆ Art
Ice sculpture cotests for different groups, such as university and college students, primary and secondary school students, and international LED ice and snow landscape design.

☆ Fashion
Shows, a group wedding, dance performances by Chinese and Russian youth, New Year’s concerts, and an oil-painting exhibition.

☆ Economy and Trade
Cold zone exposition, frigid-city development summit, ice-removal equipment and technology seminar, frigid-region logistics conference, and investment promotions.

☆ Sports
National hockey league game, women's hockey championship, junior men's hockey tournament, Alpine skiing championship, invitational winter swimming tournament, and ice sports for teenagers and families.