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

China&#039;s amazing Harbin International Ice Festival makes Frozen seem almost plausible

(Image credit: AFP/YouTube)

last updated 8 January 2015

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

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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.