As the sun sets, the colorful neon lights of Harbin Ice and Snow World light up, sparkling and dazzling in the reflections of the ice and snow, creating a joyful scene. /CFP

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is an annual winter gala held in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. It features large-scale ice and snow sculptures, long slides made entirely of ice and snow, and numerous other recreational facilities.

The festival is considered as the largest ice and snow festival in the world because of its scale and duration. The festival opened on December 17, 2022 is expected to run until late February 2023.

Harbin Ice and Snow World received over 180,000 visitors during the week-long Spring Festival holiday, welcoming 45,000 visitors on its peak day.

Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world's largest ice and snow theme park /CFP

There are three major highlights at this year's festival: the Harbin Ice Lantern Art Fair, which is listed as an intangible cultural heritage and has a long history in the city; Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world's largest ice and snow theme park; and Harbin Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Expo, which features the world's largest collection of snow sculptures.

Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world's largest ice and snow theme park /CFP

Harbin Ice and Snow World is a seasonal theme park. Every winter, construction workers use swing saws to carve ice into blocks from the frozen surface of the nearby Songhua River. The sculptures require roughly 200,000 cubic meters of ice, all hewn from the Songhua River.

Then sculptors from China and overseas have just 15 days to carve the ice into sculptures. Tens of thousands of designers and workers toil day and night in the lead-up to the launch of the festival.

Lights are also used to give color to ice, creating spectacular scenery when lit up at night. Apart from the ice sculptures, recreational activities also attract tourists to the festival.

A visitor goes down the "Super Slide" at Harbin Ice and Snow World. /CFP

The park's "Super Slide" has been fully upgraded this year, offering an even more thrilling ride experience. The slide has been increased to 8 tracks, each with a length of 500 meters, making it the longest slide in the festival's history. Visitors need to make an online reservation to book a slot on the slide.

A snowflake-themed Ferris wheel at Harbin Ice and Snow World /CFP

A giant snowflake-themed Ferris wheel offers visitors a vantage point to view the exhibits and take photos of the entire park. This giant photogenic snowflake projects a spectrum of colors that shines brightly in the night sky.

A snow mobile race is held at this year's festival. /CFP

Snow mobile races are one of the highlights at this year's festival. Racing fans showed off their skills as they experienced the winter version of the "Fast and Furious."