200-acre park celebrates snow and ice sculpture art

HARBIN CITY, China — China's huge "Ice City" is drawing tens of millions of visitors. Harbin has built its tourism sector into a $10 billion industry and is renowned as one of the country's top winter destinations.

As the capital city of a northeast Chinese province, Harbin has been making good use of its ecological resources including ice and snow, and forests and wetlands, in an effort to build itself into a top-notch, all-season tourist location, while also being a popular international tourist attraction in winter.

The city received more than 77 million tourists in 2017 and made a total revenue of about $17 billion.

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It has gained international attention for its increasingly popular winter extravaganza, the International Ice and Snow Festival, which features elaborate ice sculptures, competitions and a plethora of winter sports. Diverse winter activities have been appearing since Harbin held its first Ice Lantern Fair in 1963, with the first Ice and Snow Festival following in 1985.

The Harbin Ice and Snow World, a theme park with snow scenery and magnificent ice sculptures, was built by the local government in 1999 to welcome in the new millennium.

Every winter, visitors from home and overseas flock to Harbin, increasing consumption, creating jobs and greatly stimulating the local economy. Covering an area of 200 acres, the park has helped advance ice and snow art in China.

Much of the art features elaborate modern designs and mechanization, and continues to impress visitors from all around the world.

NBC