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In Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, in the extreme northeast of China, bordering Russian Siberia, known as the city of ice because it has the longest and coldest winter of all large Chinese cities, they must be dying of Laughter to see half of Spain collapsed by a half-meter snowfall and temperatures of -10 degrees.
They spend four months with averages of -25º and cooler weeks in which the mercury drops to -35º.
As of November, in Harbin everything is frozen, except the imagination.
It was what they threw in 1963 to carry out an idea: "If what we have left over is cold, let's make it an ally to attract tourists."
Thus was born the Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié (in Spanish, International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival), a madness that could only exist in China and that on January 5 opened its 37th edition, without the coronavirus pandemic having supposedly no problem for an event that some 18 million people go through during the almost two months it takes to melt.
I was in Harbin in January 2018 because I was fascinated by some photos I saw of that city made of ice.
It seemed impossible to me that such a thing existed and I decided to check it out personally.
The party was not cheap (Harbin is super high season and prices are tripling), but it was worth it: it has to be seen to be believed.
The Festival has several locations and a very extensive program of activities and events.
That already begins in the main and pedestrian street of the city, where in addition to kiosks where it sells… ice cream !, you discover the first ice figures.
They seem big and original to you.
But they are just crumbs of what is to come in the two main venues of the festival.
In the morning I recommend going to the one in Isla del Sol park, an islet in the middle of the Songhua River — which is totally frozen, of course.
In it, snow statues of colossal proportions are built.
There is always a special, the largest, themed each year, which can be up to 250 meters long.
Up to 200,000 cubic meters of snow are used to build them.
Replicas of temples of various religions, in the 2018 edition of the Harbin festival paco nadal
At dusk, before the sun sets, you have to go to the esplanade between the river and the city where the Ice & Snow World is mounted.
And this is where the madness of this theme park takes off.
Because in just three weeks of work, the more than 15,000 operators armed with chainsaws manage to build a real city with blocks of ice taken from the river.
Huge and themed constructions that reproduce almost to scale great buildings and monuments of the world, churches and cathedrals, Buddhist temples, waterfalls, gardens, towers, castles ... A fantasy magnified by the colored lights that complement them;
that's why sunset is the best time to see it.
Hundreds of visitors take photos, queue to go up to the attractions, buy souvenirs, eat in the many restaurants on the premises ... it is a traditional fair, only at 20 below zero.
An experience between surrealism and fascination that must be seen once in a lifetime.
Something that only the Chinese are capable of today, with their incredible technology, organization and capacity for work.
Inauguration of the 37th edition on January 5.
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
The International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is held every year from December 20 to February 28, although the official opening ceremony always takes place on January 5 and the official closing on February 5. More information to prepare for travel on this website (in English).
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