Harbin international ice and snow festival is the first international festival with ice and snow activities in China’s history, which always lasts for one month. Founded on January 5, 1985, it has become a world ice and snow event, attracting thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists to visit every year. Harbin international ice and snow festival in China, Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan, Quebec winter carnival in Canada and the Oslo ski festival in Norway have become the four major ice and snow festivals in the world.
Basic Facts about the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival:
- Harbin international ice and snow festival is popular amongChinese and foreign people. It is a special festival for Harbin people,which is rich in content and diverse in form. For example, the ice and snow Disneyland built on the Songhua river — Harbin ice and snow world, large ice sculptures exhibited in Stalin park and the snow sculpture exposition held in the sun island, and the famous ice lantern garden party in Zhaolin park are all included into the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.
- During the ice and snow festival, winter swimming competition, ice hockey game, snow football game, alpine skiing invitational competition, ice carving competition, international ice carving competition, ice and snow festival poetry meeting, ice and snow photography exhibition, book exhibition, ice and snow film art festival, ice weddingand other ice activities are also held here. Nowadays, the ice and snow festival has become an important window to showthe social and economic development of Harbin to people home and abroad.
- Harbin international ice and snow festival is the activity that hasthelongest duration of ice and snow culture activity in the world, which only has the opening ceremony – each year on January 5, but doesn’t have the closing ceremony. Even the original provisions are about one month, it actually starts from the end of December and lasts until the end of February. During these days, it also contains New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival and the Skiing Festival four important festival activities, which add more enjoyment for visitors.
- During the ice and snow festival, visitors can not only enjoy a variety of ice sculptures, ice lanterns and ice bonsai, but also eat special local food and experience the unique ice and snow culture in northeast China. Every winter, Harbin streets are decorated with lanterns and streamers, and ice and snow art, ice and snow sports, ice and snow food, ice and snow trade, ice and snow tourism, ice and snow exhibition and other activities are also held in this“ice and snow world”, which makes Harbin becomes a famous tourism city all over the world.
How to Buy Entrance Tickets :
- Price of Entrance Tickets of four major venues:
| Snow Sculpture Exposition in Sun Island | CNY 330 |
| Ice lantern Garden Party in Zhaolin Park | CNY 150 |
| Ice and Snow World | CNY 330 |
| Harbin Polarland | CNY 160 |
- Opening Time:
| Snow Sculpture Exposition in Sun Island | 08:00-17:00 ( From the end of December to the end of February every year ) |
| Ice lantern Garden Party in Zhaolin Park | 10:00-21:30( From early January to the early March every year) |
| Ice and Snow World | 11:00-21:30 |
| Harbin Polarland | 09:00-17:00 |
When is the best time to visit?
As the unique ice and snow festival, there is no denying that the best time to visit it is winter. During the winter, Harbin is covered with white snow and ice, and visitors can enjoy the snow and ice world and feel the unique fun in northern China.
Tips: Visitors had better avoid the official holiday in China, because many Chinese citizens choose to travel on official holidays to ease the pressure of their work. As a result, many Chinese tourist attractions are overcrowded and traffic jams are common. Therefore, visiting China at this time will bring tourists a less pleasant travel experience.
Official Holidays in China
| Chinese New Year | Around January or February |
| Winter vacation | January-February |
| Labor Day | May1st -3rd |
| Summer vacation(for students) | July-August31st |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Around mid-September |
| National Day | October 1st-7th |
How to get to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival?
- Bus
Snow Sculpture Exposition in Sun Island: It is convenient for visitors to take Bus No. 29, 47, 80, 125, 126, 127, 212, 213 or 215 and get off at the Taiyangdao Daokou Station.
Ice Lantern Garden Party in Zhaolin Park: Visitors can take Bus No.8, 23, 29, 53, 83, 114, 132, 201 or 206 and get off at the Zhaolin Park Station.
Ice and Snow World: Visitors can take Bus No.29, 47, 80, 119, 125, 126, 211, 213 or 551, and get off at the Ice and Snow World Station.
Harbin Polarland: Visitors can take Bus No.29, 47, 119, 125, 126, 127, 211 or 213 and get off at the Taiyangdao Daokou Station, then walk to the Harbin Polarland.
