The main reason we wanted to go to Harbin was to check out the famous Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival that Harbin has every January. It was a bit expensive to get into (200 RMB) but totally worth it. Each year the festival makes huge sculptures out of ice from the nearby Songhua river. The sculptures are usually famous buildings, castles, churches or monuments and this year was no exception with the Great Wall, the Colasseum, and the Forbidden City. You can walk inside and around the sculptures and many of them even include ice slides.
One of the coolest things about Ice and Snow World is that in each block of ice there is room for a light so the buildings are constantly changing color. Except for the fact that it was really really cold, we had a good time hanging out in this crazy, frozen fairyland.
The scariest ice slide was one that curved around steeply inside the Great Wall sculpture. To be honest, it was terrifying, as you reached breakneck speed screaming down a steep and long slide made completely out of ice, slammed from side to side in a tiny, cheap, plastic sled, and finally stopped by crashing into a snowbank. Sean said that it was the most afraid he had been so far in China. This is what Sean looked like after he collided with the snowbank:
The trouble with Ice and Snow World was that it was freezing. It was so cold that my camera quit working many times but fortunately there were many little warm shanties for hot (and overpriced) refreshments.
I think what impressed me most about the festival, besides the obvious construction of a city made of ice, was all the tiny details that went into it. They even made their own trees with tiny flower lights wrapped around them.
I don't know how much ice was used, how many men worked on the project or how long it took, them, but Ice and Snow World was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I have a feeling that from here on out, traditional ice-carving contests might just not be the same.
Hi Sean and Sarah! You two are very close to the city of Khabarovsk, Siberia where Isabella is from. Look north! You will see Khabarovsk on the Amur River between China and Russia! We were there at this time 7 years ago. There is no cold like a Siberian cold!!! We miss you and hope you are both healthy, happy and enjoying your life.
Ooops, that was from Sandy Harmon.
Sarinha, me muero de la envidia, no sabes. Me has hecho salir de Columbus un ratito. Te adoro. Sé feliz, babe. d.