Where does the "ice" for Harbin Ice and Snow World come from?

People's Daily Online 08:54, December 17, 2024

Recently, as the 5th Harbin Ice Harvest Festival kicked off on the north bank of the Songhua River in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, ice harvesting for the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World is now in full swing. High-quality ice blocks sourced from the Songhua River are being transported to the Ice and Snow World theme park to build stunning ice landscapes.

Harbin Ice and Snow World has stringent requirements for ice used in its constructions. The ice is sourced from the clearest and slowest-flowing sections of the Songhua River, where the ice layers exhibit the highest transparency. The Harbin section of the Songhua River, with its stable water flow and winter temperatures, produces dense and crack-free ice—perfect for constructing grand and exquisite ice sculptures.

At the harvesting site, workers brave the severe cold to cut and transport the ice, aided by forklifts and trucks working in seamless coordination. The sounds of workers' chants and the hum of machinery blend into a symphony of productivity.

To ensure a sufficient supply of high-quality ice, hundreds of ice harvesters and over 100 ice transport vehicles participate in the ice harvesting operations every day.

Despite December temperatures plunging below -20 degrees Celsius, the workers' enthusiasm remains undeterred.

"We began ice harvesting in early December. This year, the demand for ice is much higher than previous years, so we're working around the clock. As ice harvesters, we hope more visitors can experience the unique charm of ice sculpture art at the Ice and Snow World," said Liu Zhiwen, an ice harvester.

With the harvesting now fully underway, construction at the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World is in "accelerated mode." Over 10,000 workers and nearly 1,000 machines are working tirelessly on the 1-million-square-meter park, preparing to welcome visitors to a highly anticipated "ice and snow rendezvous."

This photo shows how ice is harvested for Harbin Ice and Snow World. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin, Xu Chenglong)

Intern Han Yifan contributed to this story.