Ice collecting work for ice and snow season activities have officially started on Sunday on the Songhua River in Harbin City of Heilongjiang Province.
As temperature keeps dropping, the Harbin section of the Songhua River is freezing over, marking the commencement of ice harvesting activities. The ice blocks will be used to construct the Harbin Ice and Snow World and the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo.
As one of China's most renowned seasonal theme parks and an important part of Harbin's ice and snow season, the construction of the Harbin Ice and Snow World spans one million square meters,and is scheduled to welcome visitors in mid-December.
According to ice collectors, the whole harvest process should be completed in river segments with slower currents to ensure workers' safety and ice blocks' transparency.
The ice harvesting process consists of four main steps. Initially, workers mark lines on the river surface and then cut along these lines to create ice blocks measuring 80 centimeters wide and 1.6 meters long. Subsequently, they meticulously split these blocks, a task demanding skill and precision due to the fragile nature of the ice. Only workers with over five years of experience are entrusted with this intricate task.
Following this, workers utilize hooks to lift smaller ice blocks onto conveyors. Careful attention is required during this phase to prevent collisions between the blocks, minimizing the risk of breakage. Finally, the ice blocks are transported to the construction site for sculpting.
Meanwhile, the 37th Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, another highlight of the ice and snow season, sees nearly half of its snow artwork pieces completed.
Mr. Snowman - one of the most attractive art works at the expo – has revealed its "face." This giant artwork is made out of 4,000 cubic meters of snow. Some 30 craftsmen participated in the sculpturing work since the end of November.
It is reported that more than 260 snow sculptures featuring diverse cultural themes will be on display during the event, and a range of winter outdoor activities will also be held such as snow sliding and skating, as a warm-up cultural and tourism activity for the 9th Asian Winter Games in February 2025.
The Harbin Ice and Snow World and the Sun Island Snow Expo are expected to be completed in the latter half of this month.