The city of Harbin makes the most of its freezing winters by hosting an impressive ice festival. Blocks of snow are carved into the shapes of plants and animals and lit from within to provide glittering lights of ice. At the end of the festival everyone takes a mallet to the lanterns and smashes them up in the street!

There's little chance of the artworks melting, as Harbin's location near the Russian border provides icy temperatures for most of the year. Remember to wrap up warm!

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang Province, in north-east China. The population of the region is about 37 million, consisting of several different minorities including Han, Manchurian, Korean, Mongolian, Muslim, Daur, Oroqen, Hezhen, Kirgiz and Ewenki. There are some amazing places to visit too – if you decide to go for the Ice Festival, make sure you check out the five Grand Lakes of the Volcano Park, and the Jingpo Lake, a barrier lake in high mountains.

Date: January 5 – February 5

Place: Harbin City, Heilongjiang


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