The 2017 Harbin Ice Festival officially opened to the public this week. This year marks the 33rd edition of the festival, coined as the world's largest winter festival.
Despite temperatures hitting as low as minus -35 degrees in the Heilongjiang capital in January, the festival annually draws in millions of visitors who brave through the subzero temps to see the breathtaking larger-than-life snow and ice sculptures. This year's sculptures required 330,000 cubic meters of snow and ice to create.
The theme of this year's festival is "Pearl of Ice."
Each year, the snow and ice sculptures are created by local and overseas designers who use ice from the nearby Songhua River to carve the spectacular installations. Colorful lights are installed inside the ice structures, which are then lit up at night. The sculptures can be as tall as a two or three-storey building, according to China Daily.
Among the sculptures on display at the festival include replicas of famous monuments, cartoon characters, animals and more. There's also a giant slide for visitors to experience.
The annual festival lasts until the end of February.
[Images via Daily Mail, People's Daily]
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