Frozen towers and palaces stun visitors at Harbin ice festival  | Inquirer News

Frozen towers and palaces stun visitors at Harbin ice festival 

/ 12:46 PM January 06, 2021

People look at ice sculptures at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province on January 5, 2021. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT

BEIJING — Giant snow mazes, illuminated frozen towers and crystal palaces etched from vast blocks of ice greeted visitors to China’s annual ice festival in Harbin.

The frozen dreamscapes have drawn millions of visitors over the years to the wintery northeastern city, which opened the festival on Tuesday despite small Covid-19 outbreaks across China.

Article continues after this advertisement

Preparations for the annual winter celebration begin weeks in advance, with workers mining millions of cubic feet of ice from the surface of the Songhua river over long, grueling shifts.

FEATURED STORIES

Walls of ice carved into the shape of a giant flower were lit up on Tuesday night as the festival opened.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Games have inspired a push across China to promote winter sports and tourism, with the number of Chinese snow resorts increasing nearly fourfold in the past decade.

Article continues after this advertisement

China has largely brought coronavirus infections under control domestically, with entertainment and cultural venues reopening and life largely returning to normal in recent months.

Article continues after this advertisement

But small outbreaks in multiple cities have prompted authorities to step up testing and travel restrictions.

Visitors to this year’s festival are required to show a “health code” on a contact-tracing app and have their temperatures measured before entering venues.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.

TAGS: China, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Winter

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.