Asia-Pacific

Ice Castle Illumination: Annual ‘Ice Festival’ Unveiled in Harbin, China”

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Venue of the Illuminated Ice Castle at the ‘Ice Festival’ in Harbin, China, on Friday.

Demizu Shotaro / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

21:02 JST, January 6, 2024

Harbin, China — The annual “Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival” opened on Friday in Harbin, Northeast China. Despite temperatures approaching a bitter minus 20 C, the festival is bustling with a huge number of tourists eager to witness the fantastical landscapes.

Harbin’s International Ice and Snow Festival is renowned globally as one of the major winter festivals, alongside Sapporo in Japan and Quebec in Canada, and it is celebrating its 40th edition this year.

During this period, Harbin experiences its peak in tourism. According to Chinese media, over 3 million people visited the city in the three days ending January 1st, generating approximately 6 billion yuan (around ¥120 billion) in revenue.