Construction of the seasonal Harbin Ice & Snow Festival in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in northeast China, has begun as workers began transporting ice blocks after being stored for over 10 months. Harbin is also known as the Ice City, as it experiences long, cold and snowy winters with short, cool summers. In 1999, the city authorities organised the first Harbin Ice and Snow Festival that has since been held every year from December to March.

According to a press statement by Harbin City, more than 10,000 ice construction workers and nearly 1,000 pieces of mechanical operation equipment will enter the park for the construction process. By mid-December, visitors will be able to enjoy the ice-and-snow park covering 1 million square metres. Due to its huge dimensions, the park has been awarded the certification for the “world’s largest indoor ice and snow theme park” by Guinness World Records.

The officials say that in order to ensure the beauty of the ice-construction landscape, the ice blocks will go through strict inspection on thickness, length and cleanliness before being used. Utilising advanced ice sculpting techniques and incorporating cutting-edge lighting, sound and interactive technologies, the park offers an immersive experience.

The statement adds that the ice used in the construction of the park’s attractions was sourced from the Songhua River, with a total ice volume of 20,000 cubic metres. Once inside, visitors can enjoy a magical atmosphere filled with ice, light, entertainment, gourmet food and cultural creations. There are also vibrant ice sculptures of fruit, ice cream and cakes made using edible dyes through an environmentally-friendly special colouring process.

The officials say that Harbin’s annual snow and ice festival brings tens of thousands of tourists from China and elsewhere, but this new attraction is aimed at extending the city’s tourist season and transforming it into a year-round destination.

Sunac China Holdings exits Harbin park operator

Meanwhile, beleaguered property developer Sunac China Holdings, one of the two shareholders of the theme park operator, has sold its stake for RMB 1 billion (USD 138 million), marking the company’s latest effort to manage its debt burden and repay creditors. In a filing at Beijing Stock Exchange, Sunac said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Harbin Sunac Culture & Tourism Industry, sold its 46.7 pc equity interest in the theme park operator to Harbin Sun Island Group, which previously owned a 52.8 pc stake in the target firm.