Yep, it’s that time of year, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is back for the 29th time. Every year it’s bigger and the constructions more elaborate. Each year also seem to bringer an ever-greater, ever more flgrant corporate presence.
But it’s still a remarkable show, and it’s already underway on the other side of the International Date Line. . .
From ITN, a look at what happen before the lights go on:
Ice Festival preparations hot up in Harbin, China
Program notes:
Over 7,000 artists and workers in the norhern Chinese city of Harbin are working around the clock putting the finishing touches to the annual Ice Festival grounds. Now in its 30th year, the Ice Festival features huge sculptures of famous buildings, a gigantic 240-metre-long ice slide and even a loving tribute to Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s globe trotting rubber duck. According to the festival’s organiser over 180,000 square metres of ice and 150,000 square metres of snow have been used in constructing the winter wonderland. To coincide with the 30th anniverary the festival is on a much larger scale than previous years and features sponsorship from big name companies like Samsung. Over one million visitors are expected to attend the festival which officially opens on Sunday. Report by Laurie Blake.
Net, more construction and the first illumination, via euronews:
Ice City: First look at 2014 ice & snow festival in China’s Harbin
Program notes:
China’s northeastern city of Harbin has finished the preparations for a preview event of its annual ice and snow festival, organizers said on Saturday. The one-month-long festival will officially begin on January 5, 2014, but many of the exhibits opened on a test basis on Sunday and are likely to remain open if the weather permits.
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, now in its 30th edition, draws crowds from across China and abroad with unique sculptures illuminated by multicolored electric lights encased in translucent ice. The Harbin festival is one of the world’s four largest ice and snow festivals, which also include Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada’s Quebec City Winter Carnival and Norway’s Skiing Festival.
Harbin, known in China as the “Ice City”, is under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The city’s temperatures in January average minus 18 degrees Celsius.
Next, from Valeriu Margescu, a slideshow view with [LOUD piano score] of the 2013 festival:
Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival 2013 V M
Program note:
PowerPoint, converted to WMV.
And, finally, a video look at the 2011 festival.
2011 Harbin China Ice Sculpture Festival
