TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has officially returned to Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. This world-renowned event showcases massive ice and snow art installations that captivate both domestic and international tourists. During the festival, the city’s extreme sub-zero landscape is transformed into a magical world of crystal-clear ice.
The festival officially opened on January 5, 2026, featuring drone light shows, record-breaking ice structures, and various winter attractions. While the grand opening was in January, the exhibition areas have been accessible to the public since mid-December 2025. The event is scheduled to run until the end of February 2026, or as long as freezing temperatures allow the sculptures to remain intact.
Main Festival Locations
According to Travel and Leisure Asia, this year’s installment features 10 themed tourist routes and over 200 cultural, sporting, and economic events. The festival is centered around three primary locations, each offering a distinct atmosphere:
1. Harbin Ice and Snow World - "The Disneyland of Ice"
This zone serves as the festival’s crown jewel, featuring massive ice skyscrapers and intricate monuments. The park is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. The ideal time to arrive is around 15:00, allowing visitors to view the sculptures in natural daylight before they are illuminated by colorful neon lights at sunset. Due to the plummeting temperatures after dark, visitors are advised to limit their stay to four hours.
Attractions include the Snow Ferris Wheel, ice acrobatics, dance carnivals, and local Harbin cuisine. For more active visitors, there are opportunities for skating, skiing, ice biking, and even RV camping.
2. Sun Island - International Snow Sculpture Gallery
Gallery Sun Island hosts the International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, where artists from around the globe create monumental works out of packed snow. This zone is open from 08:00 to 16:00 and takes approximately two to three hours to explore.
Unlike ice carvings, snow sculptures are not illuminated from within, making them most impressive under bright morning or midday sunlight. Many visitors choose to explore Sun Island in the morning before heading to Ice and Snow World in the afternoon.
3. Zhaolin Park - Enchanting Ice Lanterns
Zhaolin Park offers a more intimate, child-friendly experience filled with small to medium-sized ice lanterns. Many of the 300+ works are created by students and burgeoning young artists. The park features lanterns with internal lighting, fantasy figures, and animal sculptures. Located conveniently in the city center, it is open from 09:00 to 21:00 and often hosts live ice-carving competitions.
A Growing Winter Phenomenon
Local government data shows that Harbin recorded 1.4 million tourist visits on the first day of the three-day New Year holiday alone, an 11.4% increase over the previous year, as reported by China Daily. With January temperatures frequently dropping below -20°C, the festival has evolved into a significant cultural celebration and a unique test of resilience for those braving the extreme cold.
Putri Az Zahra Suherman contributed to the report
Read: 10 Things to Do in Harbin: Must See Winter Wonderland Attractions
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