The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, the largest ice and snow festival in the world, is an annual winter festival that takes place with a theme in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
Initially, the festival participants were mainly Chinese but now it has become an international festival and competition. The festival starts on January 5 every year and lasts one month. However, sometimes the exhibition opens before that time and stay longer, depending on the weather condition.
During the festival, two main exhibitions are held in two different areas: Sun Island and Ice and Snow World. The Sun Island is a recreational area that is situated on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city. It features an expo of enormous snow sculptures.
Ice and Snow World, an area open at night, features illuminated full size buildings, which are made from blocks of 2–3' thick ice taken directly from the Songhua River.
