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Harbin Ice & Snow Festival

Harbin, the capital city of China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang, is known as a Paradise of Ice and Snow and is famous for its dazzling outdoor winter artwork. The art of ice-and-snow sculpture made its debut in Harbin thirty years ago, thanks to the intelligence of artists and their efforts to add color to the lives of the local residents by taking advantage of the northern winter weather.

In 1985, the city of Harbin held the first International Ice and Snow Festival. The festival has been held every year since then and has now become one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.

January 5 marks the beginning of the Ice and Snow Festival, and in the month that follows, many visitors come to see the wonderful sculptures of ice and snow and to take part in the various cultural, athletic, and commercial events.

The 18th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival began on January 5, 2002, with the theme of The Flourishing Ice and Snow Culture and Winter Tourism. A highlight of this year's festival was the newly established Ice and Snow World, an amusement park featuring 10 theme attractions including the Flying Dragon, the Splendid Land of China, the Wonderful Heilongjiang River, and the Tropical Rain Forest. It is the world's largest amusement park devoted to ice and snow. The festival also featured the Ice Lantern and Snow Sculpture Expositions.

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has not only become an integral part of the winter life of the people of Harbin, but has also played an active role in introducing Harbin to the rest of the country and the world, speeding up the city's opening to the outside world, and promoting the city's trade and economic cooperation with foreign countries.

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