This winter, tens of thousands of travelers have been mesmerized by the grand ice structures in Harbin Ice-Snow World. As night falls, the park transforms into a magical landscape, illuminated by a dazzling array of lights that bring its ice structures to life.
Located in the \"ice city\" of Harbin, the snowy capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, the park blends ice, snow, sound, and lights in a captivating display. Marking its 25th year of consecutive celebration, this year's edition has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest ice and snow theme park.
Where does the ice come from?
This year's festival saw the use of a total of 250,000 cubic meters of ice and snow. These crystal palaces and intricate sculptures were crafted from ice blocks harvested from the nearby frozen Songhua River.
Due to its stable water flow and clear water quality, the Songhua River forms ice with a uniform density and crystal-clear appearance, making it perfect for constructing ice landscapes. Every December, when the ice on the Songhua River reaches a thickness of approximately 0.3 to 0.4 meters, the month-long ice harvesting process begins. Each day, around 10,000 cubic meters of ice are collected from the river.
The ice-picking team begins by marking the ice line, stretching a line across the ice layer to gauge distances. They then use a motorized ice saw to make initial cuts, slicing the expansive ice layer into smaller squares and making the ice surface look like a checkerboard. In accordance with the construction requirements of Harbin Ice-Snow World, each ice block is approximately 1.6 meters in length, 0.8 meters in width, and weighs around 700 kilograms.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
