However, until my recent trip to Harbin -- dubbed the largest ice and snow paradise in China -- I had not realized how much more winter fun there was to be had.

The capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, Harbin is best known for its appealing winter landscape, stimulating winter sports and various dazzling ice and snow art works, such as ice lanterns, snow sculptures and ice carvings.

Among all the excitement, what filled my trip with surprise and passion was the thousands of exquisite, multi-coloured crystal ice lanterns displayed in the parks and spread over the city's main streets and squares.

I arrived in the icy fairyland early on January 4, and was greeted by the city's second heavy snowfall this winter.

The 18th China Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and the 28th Harbin Ice Lanterns Exposition were to open the next day, to last until the end of February.

The weather plunged to minus 25 ℃. It might be a little warmer compared with previous winters for the locals but was already freezing for tourists from other parts of the world.

Despite the icy temperature, I was looking forward to nightfall when we would start our tour of the brilliant glittering ice lanterns that have won fame for the city.

"The ice lanterns of Harbin are the best in the world," said Wang Jingfu, a senior ice lantern consultant in the city.

Dusk in Harbin falls early in the winter. Around 4 pm, we got on a station wagon and set off with great expectation to our first destination -- Harbin Ice and Snow World.

Boasting the world's largest man-made ice and snow garden, the exhibition is built on the northern bank of the Songhua River and covers an area of 300,000 square metres. A total of 80,000 cubic metres of ice and 120,000 cubic metres of snow are devoted to more than 2,000 ice lanterns in the park.

Ice lanterns

According to Wang, local Harbiners have developed a long tradition of making ice lanterns. In the old days, farmers and fishermen used to partially freeze a block of water, dig a hole on top of the ice block, tip out the unfrozen water at the centre and then put the lamp inside to keep it from the wind. These were the earliest ice lanterns.

No longer pure lighting tools for daily use, ice lanterns have developed into a form of art that combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, mirroring people's aesthetic value and reflecting the spirit of the era.

Ice lanterns are not necessarily "lantern-like." In a broad sense, they refer to any work of art made of ice and light, including buildings, carvings, slides, waterfalls, calligraphy and advertisements.

"Look!" exclaimed my companion, Sui Chunyan, a reporter from Qingdao Radio Station, as the park came into view. "It's wonderful."

Glancing across the frozen Songhua River, we saw a brightly-lit stretch of buildings glittering in the distance. Red, yellow, blue, green, orange and purple lights wove together, illuminating the dark night. The distance makes it look like a wonderland; a castle in a fairy tale or a mirage.

Our vehicle crossed the bridge and stopped at the entrance to the attraction.

Stepping into the park, we immediately entered into a huge "ice and snow house." Ice buildings, ice walls and ice carvings surrounded us. In front of us was a forest of brightly decorated icicles; under our feet were ice steps, and above our head were ice-arched roofs.

I laid a finger on the ice. It was smooth and hard and a feeling of cold and freshness swept over my whole body.

A group of ice lanterns of traditional shape and style greeted the tourists at the entrance. Blocks of multi-coloured ice buildings stood behind them, designed in an exotic European style.

Without fear of the biting cold, I rushed to remove my gloves and take out the camera to take photos.

"Go inside where you will find much more alluring sights," a staff member of the park reminded me.

The several thematic scenery sections were well organized. At the centre of the park was a 36-meter-high and 72-meter-long China Millennium Monument, resembling the prototype in Beijing. It is the main attraction of the park.

Standing on top of the monument, tourists will get a panoramic view of the park. Below the monument, a group of ice carvings depict the 5,000-year splendid Chinese civilization.

We found our way through the dreamland labyrinth composed of 54 big and small towers, and continued to "Southwest China's Yunnan Province" by roaming in the 3,500-square-meter ice-made "Stone Forest."

As we explored west, we ventured in the "Palace of the Dragon King" where we played tricks with the waves, seals, penguins, coral and sharks made of colorful ice.

And stepping eastward, we were ushered into the world's highest ice building, a European-style dreamland castle, 40 meters in height.

Around 7 pm, after strolling for about three hours in the huge ice house, we finally found we could not resist the cold any more. My cheeks were aching and my face refused to present any cheerful looks before the camera.

We went to a line of restaurants in the Russian street in the park, where various kinds of hot drinks and snack food are served.

However, everything was sold at surprisingly high prices, usually two to three times their usual price.

We finally each ordered a glass of milk tea at 20 yuan (US$2.40) per cup, after several bouts of bargaining.

Ice game

However, soon we found the best way to warm up -- to play ice slides.

It was the most funny and exciting experience in the trip.

On the Christmas Paradise in the western part of the park, there were already dozens of people -- adults and children -- at the top of an 18-metre-high and 68-meter-long ice slide, making final preparations for their slippery performances.

Five boys formed a small "train" by linking together, winning a huge cheer from the audience.

Others were timid, trying to slow down by rubbing hands and feet against the sides of the slide.

We spent the next hour enjoying the various ice slides.

Zhaolin Park

The Zhaolin Park is designated a must-see spot for winter visitors in Harbin, as the park is well-known as the development ground of Harbin's ice lanterns and has held the past 27 Ice Lantern Expositions in the city.

Compared with the stimulating and splendid Ice and Snow World, we sensed a strong cultural atmosphere in the park the next day.

Featuring the vast western landscape, the 2,002 ice lanterns this year displayed the scenic splendour along the old Silk Road in China, such as the Dunhuang grottoes, the frescoes, the terracotta warriors and the Uygur-style buildings.

"All of the ice used for making lanterns was extracted from the Songhua River, and we only had half a month to finish all the work," said Cheng Jin, general designer of the 28th Harbin Ice Lantern Exposition. "Around 3,000 workers have to work day and night.

"It is demanding in such low temperatures to make the beautifully wrought ice lanterns because of the specialties of ice."

When I boarded the train to leave Harbin, I was filled with envy at the blessed, rich ice resource that has turned Harbin into a world famous winter wonderland.

(China Daily January 19, 2002)