This is the Ice Harvest Festival, which takes place on the first day of the "Major Snow" solar term. Traditionally, it marks the day when the first ice block is hauled from the river.
By December, the ice on the surface of the Songhua River in Harbin is over 30 centimeters thick, making it perfect for harvesting. More than a thousand workers and nearly 500 transport vehicles are needed to cut, stack, and haul ice from the river into storage. On average, 10,000 cubic meters of ice are harvested every day.
Today, much of this ice is used for sculptures at Harbin's Ice and Snow World and for various winter festivals. With the Asian Games coming to Harbin this year, the demand for ice is even greater.
Back to the festival: this iconic event in Harbin, one of China’s top ice-and-snow tourism destinations, drew thousands of tourists from both home and abroad, despite the bitter cold. Join Stephen to experience more.
