A launching ceremony for the first (China) Harbin Ice and Snow Food Festival is held on Feb 14. [Photo/Ice City Plus]

The first (China) Harbin Ice and Snow Food Festival successfully kicked off in Harbin, the capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, on Feb 14.
 
The festival is scheduled to last two weeks until Feb 28.
 
The festival is the first of its kind in China, and aims to boost local consumption, and promote the development of Harbin's ice and snow tourism, as well as its food industry.
 
It is jointly sponsored by the Harbin municipal government and the China Hospitality Association.
 
According to the plan, the festival set up its main venue in Harbin's Xicheng Hongchang, and has sub-venues in the Chinese-Baroque Historic Block and in large-scale commercial complexes across the city.
 
A series of activities will be organized, including an ice and snow food exhibition, the Harbin Green Food and Enterprise Food Exhibition, the Ice and Snow Food Festival Summit Forum, and an ice and snow cooking competition.
   
The Chinese-Baroque Historic Block will also hold exhibitions on time-honored brands, special snacks, and intangible cultural heritage. Other activities will include catering promotions and free tastings.
 
These activities are to further promote Harbin's traditional food culture and folk culture.
 
Harbin is the home to more than 50,000 catering enterprises and has over 400,000 people employed in the catering industry. The income of this industry has become an important part of the tertiary sector in the city.
 
Harbin is known as the "City of Western Cuisine in China." Its cuisine integrates Chinese and Western dishes.
 
Harbin is also the "Ice and Snow Capital of China". Its ice and snow dishes and winter health-preserving meals, such as stew in iron pots, frozen pears, frozen persimmons, and candied haws, are well-known throughout the country.
   
Various kinds of dishes and desserts are on display at the first (China) Harbin Ice and Snow Food Festival. [Photo/Ice City Plus]