Harbin International Festival of Snow and Ice Sculptures ( Chinese哈尔滨 国际 冰雪节, Pinyin Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié) is the annual international festival of ice and snow. It has been held since 1963 . The festival was often interrupted, for example, during the Cultural Revolution , until it was again resumed in 1985 .
| International Ice and Snow Festival | |
|---|---|
| 哈尔滨 国际 冰雪节 | |
 | |
| Dates | 1963 - present |
| The beginning of | |
| Location | |
| City of | Harbin |
| A country | People's Republic of China |
Harbin , the capital of Heilongjiang Province, China , is one of the centers of ice and snow culture in the world. Geographically, it is located in Northeast China , where there is a direct influence of the cold winter Siberian wind. The average temperature in summer is +21.2 ° C , and −16.8 ° C in winter. Sometimes in winter and at night the temperature drops to −38.1 ° C.
The festival officially begins on January 5 and lasts one month. However, exhibits often open earlier and, if weather permits, remain longer. Ice sculptures are processed using both modern (e.g. lasers ) and more traditional tools (e.g. ice lights). Winter holidays at the festival include downhill skiing , swimming in the winter ice hole of the Sungari River .
The Harbin Festival is one of the four largest ice and snow festivals in the world, along with the Japanese Sapporo Snow Festival , the Canadian Winter Carnival in Quebec and the Norwegian Ski Festival.
In 2007, a Canadian theme at the festival was dedicated to Canadian physician Norman Bethune . There were Guinness records at the festival related to the largest snow sculptures: 250 meters long, and 8.5 meters high, consisting of more than 13,000 m 3 of snow. The sculpture consisted of two parts: “ Niagara Falls ” and “Crossing the Bering Strait ” (the latter was depicted by the migration of the first nation (indigenous peoples of Canada)).
Content
Sculpture Construction
In order to cut the ice, which is taken from the Sungari River , special devices are used into blocks [1] . Chisels , ice axes and various tools are used in the work of ice sculptors [2] , many of whom make several sculptures [1] and work all day and night until the festival begins. Demineralized water can also be used to create transparent, like glass, ice blocks for transparent sculptures [3] . Multi-colored lights [4] are also used to illuminate ice, creating light variations on the background of the sculpture, especially beautiful at night. Ice sculptures made in previous years depict: buildings and monuments of various architectural directions and styles, sculptures of animals, people and mythical creatures [5] [6] Tourists from all over the world flock to the festival in Harbin . [four]
See also
- Winterlude
- Winter carnivals
- Ice sculpture
- Siberian festival of snow sculpture (Novosibirsk)
- Sapporo Snow Festival
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 AFP. Ice money in the cold city of China . The Sydney Morning Herald (November 13, 2008). Date of treatment January 5, 2011. Archived July 9, 2012.
- ↑ BBC. Pictured: Harbin Ice Festival . BBC News (January 6, 2007). Date of treatment January 5, 2011. Archived July 9, 2012.
- ↑ Zeitvogel, K. The Chinese sculpted Winter Wonderland in Washington . AFP / Google (December 18, 2009). Date of treatment January 5, 2011. Archived July 9, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 The northern Chinese city is cold and ice . The State Journal, Frankfort, Kentucky (December 22, 2009). Date of treatment January 5, 2011. Archived July 9, 2012.
- ↑ Taylor, A.