Atlas of China
Harbin Ice & Snow World 哈尔滨冰雪大世界Hā'ěrbīn Bīngxuě Dàshìjiè
Full-size castles of river ice, glowing with colour through Harbin's deep-freeze winter
- Best time
- Late Dec–Feb
- Time needed
- Afternoon and evening
- Days to budget
- 1 day
- Stay in
- Harbin
- Region
- Heilongjiang
- Type
- Culture
Why go to Harbin Ice & Snow World
Each winter Harbin cuts great blocks of ice from the frozen Songhua River and builds a temporary city of castles, towers and slides, lit from within in shifting colours after dark. Ice and Snow World is the centrepiece of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, alongside the snow-sculpture park on Sun Island and ice lanterns in the city's parks.
The story
The festival grew from humble ice lanterns, made by freezing water in a bucket, hollowing it out and setting a candle inside, which the city first put on show in Zhaolin Park in 1963. Harbin itself grew up around the Russian-built Chinese Eastern Railway, which is why Central Street and the green-domed St Sophia Cathedral look so unlike the rest of China.
What to see at Harbin Ice & Snow World
- Ice and Snow World 冰雪大世界: A park on the Songhua River's north bank, open from the afternoon into the night, where full-size castles, towers and slides of river ice are lit in colour after dark; it is rebuilt every winter.
- Sun Island snow sculpture expo 太阳岛国际雪雕艺术博览会: Huge snow sculptures set in the Sun Island recreation area on the north bank, best seen in daylight and also served by a Metro Line 2 station.
- Zhaolin Park ice lanterns 兆麟公园冰灯游园会: The festival's oldest strand, with ice-lantern displays in a city-centre park since 1963, easy to combine with Central Street.
How to visit Harbin Ice & Snow World
Visit Ice and Snow World in the late afternoon and stay on after dark, when the lights come on and the buildings glow; Metro Line 2 has a station named for the park, and another for Sun Island. Spend the daytime on the Sun Island snow sculptures or the lantern displays in Zhaolin Park, and allow several hours for the ice park alone. Exhibits open from mid-to-late December to late February, depending on the ice.
How to get to Harbin Ice & Snow World
Ice and Snow World is on the north bank of the Songhua River, about 30 minutes by taxi from central Harbin; Harbin is around five hours from Beijing by high-speed train.
Where to stay
Stay in Daoli District near Central Street for restaurants and a short metro ride to the festival sites, or in the Songbei side of the river if you want to be close to Ice and Snow World; book well ahead around New Year.
What to eat
- Candied haws 糖葫芦: Hawthorn fruit on sticks, glazed in crisp sugar and sold at stalls around the festival sites.
- Harbin red sausage 哈尔滨红肠: A smoked pork sausage in the Russian style, found in delis across the city and a popular winter snack.
- Modern ice lolly 马迭尔冰棍: A cream bar sold on Central Street and eaten outdoors in sub-zero cold as a Harbin tradition.
Tips for visiting Harbin Ice & Snow World
- Temperatures often fall below −20 °C: wear thermal layers, insulated boots and a face cover, and keep phone batteries in an inner pocket.
- Arrive in the late afternoon to see the sculptures by daylight, then stay for the lights.
- The season depends on the weather, typically running from mid-December to late February.
Nearby
- Central Street & St Sophia Cathedral 中央大街与圣索菲亚教堂 under 10 km
A cobbled pedestrian street of Russian-era façades and a green-domed Orthodox cathedral
Also within 30 km: Heilongjiang Science and Technology Museum 黑龙江省科技馆 (under 10 km), Harbin Polarland 哈尔滨极地公园 (under 10 km), Sun Island Scenic Area 太阳岛 (under 10 km), Harbin Jewish Heritage Sites 哈尔滨犹太人活动旧址群 (under 10 km), Siberian Tiger Park 东北虎林园 (under 10 km), Sunac Park, Harbin 融创乐园 (under 10 km).
On the map
Open Harbin Ice & Snow World on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Harbin Ice & Snow World on the map