Every year thousands of Chinese workers are entrusted to build a temporary city that's like no other in the world for one reason: It's made entirely of ice. The Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival opens to the public each January, allowing upwards of a million people to enjoy massive ice palaces and sculptures wrapped in LED lights. Residents of Harbin, a city in China's northern reaches near the Russian and Mongolian borders, experience winter temperatures as low as minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the severe conditions, visitors come in masses to enjoy the various themed zones, which cover over eight million square feet and feature more than ten million cubic feet of ice and snow.
Workers spend months cutting blocks of ice, sourced from the nearby Songhua River, and transporting them to the festival grounds. From there, sculptors come from around the world to chisel and form the hefty displays. The show, which is in its 33rd year, runs through February.
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