Northern China city hosts world's largest ice festival

Despite being one of China's coldest cities with average January temperatures of 9 F, millions of visitors flock to Harbin every year to visit the world-famous Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Boasting 2,019 snowmen, the world's largest ice sculpture, incredible light shows and 750,000 square meters of venue space, 10 to 15 million people travel to the city every January to see the sculptures.

According to chinahighlights.com, 10,000 workers cut and haul the blocks of ice to produce the sculptures. Thanks to the consistently freezing temperatures, the exhibits are open for months at a time. The official festival runs from January 5 through February.

Among the festival events is the annual swim in the Songhua River. Some swimmers train for months to prepare their bodies for the cold water, as the popular event draws hundreds of participants. With temperatures occasionally reaching 31 F degrees below zero, workers have to break newly formed ice before each event.

The festival was first held in Harbin in 1963 and became immensely popular in 2001 when the event combined with the International Ski Festival. It has become a local source of pride in recent years, as cultural celebrations with traditional songs and dances are performed for visitors. The hefty price of entry also boosts the local Harbin economy and is a significant source of the city's annual income.

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