ice, ice (sculptures)

哈尔滨国际冰雪节 (Hāěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié), the Hāěrbīn International Ice and Snow Festival, is the world’s biggest ice sculpture festival.

Hāěrbīn is a good place for it - the capital of China’s northernmost province, almost-Siberian temperatures approach -40 (that’s on both the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales!) although that doesn’t stop people flocking to the spectacle.

The ice is taken from the nearby river and hacked, cut, sawed, and chiseled into statues, animals, mythical creatures, or entire palaces by the ice artists.

Oh, and the “snow” part of name isn’t just there to sound good - it’s also a ski festival!

The festival runs from Christmas and until February 25th - but even if you miss it, you can still see some of the best works preserved in a huge indoor ice hall all through the summer.

Cool. Wikimedia Commons