Around the time of the traditional Chinese solar term “Major Snow,” the local people in Harbin hold a grand ice harvesting festival on the banks of the Songhua River. They start to collect crystal-clear ice blocks from the frozen Songhua River, which are used to build the Harbin Ice and Snow World, a dreamlike ice and snow amusement park in northern China.
There are also performances, interactive activities and a thematic bazaar at the opening ceremony site. People can watch shows, taste local specialty foods and experience folk arts such as ice engraving on the spot. As the 9th Asian Winter Games is scheduled to be held in Harbin in early 2025, various elements and cultural and creative products related to the Asian Winter Games are also presented at this year’s Ice Harvesting Festival. Come and join CGTN to have a look.
