Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival

Time: January 5th to February 15th

Place: The Sun Island Scenic Area; Harbin Ice and Snow World; Yabuli International Ski Resort; The Ice Lantern Garden Party and Zhaolin Park.

Admission Fee: 30 yuan for the Sun Island Park (extra 50 yuan for the Snow Sculpture Art Exposition)

80 yuan for Harbin Ice and Snow World

30 yuan for the Ice Lantern Exhibition at Zhaolin Park

Opening Hours: 8:00-17:00 9:00-22:00 5:00-18:30

Bus Route: 29, 85, 88... 118... 8, 53, 74, 83, 113, 114, 201, 206...

Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province of China, is one of the sources of ice and snow culture in the world. Geographically, it is located in northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature is -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter and it can be as cold as -38.1 degrees Celsius.

The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been held since 1963. Officially, the festival starts from January 5th and it lasts one month. Ice sculpture decoration ranges from the modern technology of lasers to traditional ice lanterns. There are ice lantern park touring activities held in many parks in the city. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli alpine skiing, winter-swimming in Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous.

The Harbin festival is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.

The 23rd Yanqing Ice & Snow Festival

Time: From January 1 to the end of February 2007

Place: Longqing Gorge, Shijinglong Ski Resort, Badaling Ski Resort, Badaling Great Wall, Badaling Remnant Great Wall, Ancient Cliff House, Xiadu Park

Reference price: Longqingxia Gorge: 60 yuan/person; Shijinglong Skiing Resort: 20 yuan/person; Badaling Skiing Resort: 20 yuan/person; The Great Wall at Badaling: 45 yuan/person; Yanqing Silicified Wood National Geopark: 75 yuan/person; Badaling Wildlife Park: 70 yuan/person

Tel: (010) 81191011

Bus routes: You can take Bus 919 at the Deshengmen to the Great Wall at Badaling, Badaling Skiing Resort and Badaling Wildlife Park.

You can take Bus 919 from Deshengmen to Yanqing County Town and then change Bus 920 to reach the Longqingxia Gorge and the Shijinglong Skiing Resort.

You can take Bus 919 from Deshengmen to Yanqing County Town and then change the bus that goes to Qianjiadian to reach the Yanqing Silicified Wood National Geopark.

(China.org.cn December 24, 2008)