The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival,officially opened on January 5 and will run through next month, has turned the city in northeastern (China) Heilongjiang province into a wonderland.
Last year, more than a million visitors(attract) to Harbin to see the huge sculptures(create) from huge ice blocks and tons of snow by artists from 12 countries.
In the weeks(lead) up to the latest festival, hundreds of workers spent hours cutting blocks of ice from the nearby Songhua River. Each piece weighed up to 1,554 pounds and almost 261,500m3 of ice were cuttransported on-site.
When the ice and snow sculptures are lit up by thousands of lanterns, they are very (impress), with the massive main sculpture measuring 108 feet in height and over 325 feet in(long). From fantasy castles and creatures to recreations of iconic monuments, the incredible ice and snow sculptures allow the public to relive(they) childhood. Many visitors say it is once-in-a-lifetime experience for them!
