China's amazing Harbin International Ice Festival makes Frozen seem almost plausible

China's amazing Harbin International Ice Festival makes Frozen seem almost plausible
(Image credit: AFP/YouTube)

The only thing missing is "Let It Go" looping endlessly over the loudspeakers: China's 31st International Ice and Snow Festival opened on Monday in Harbin, in frigid northeast Heilongjiang Province, ushering in weeks of gawking at some of the world's most impressive and delightful ice sculpture. The annual exhibition takes up about 185 acres (750,000 square meters), divided into thematic sections. At night, the ice castles and churches and other structures are lighted up from within, creating a colorful fantasy land.

Weather permitting, the festival will last until March. In case you can't make it to the Russia-China border this year, AFP has some video of the event. --Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.