14 DAY TRIAL // The 30th Harbin Ice and Snow Festival exhibits an amazing all-ice construction that can actually make you believe you are in a winter wonderland. The gigantic 20-story high frozen castle is 86 feet (26 meters) high, made from almost 1,938,000 square feet (180,000 square meters) of ice.
The main attraction of the festival is believed to bring thousands of tourists to the city of Harbin, close to China's border with Russia. The work of 10,000 people was put into building the incredible display that lights up in an unbelievable nighttime color-show display.
The blocks of ice used to build the attraction were carefully picked from the frozen waters of the Songhua River. After putting the huge pieces of ice together, workers pour water on them to freeze them together and then polish them for an amazing crystal-clear aspect.
Ice sculptures decorate the whole site and give the castle an amazing look, making people believe they are part of a Disney movie. The ice park has its own Ice Lantern Garden Party, ski resort, figure skating area, and theater performance. Tourists can also enjoy the Siberian Tiger Park, fish, swim, and admire diving performances on the river, notes Daily Mail.
In the night, the castle and other ice constructions from the festival light up in rainbow colors, putting up an amazing color show. The castle is surrounded by gigantic ice carvings of cartoon characters, dragons, dinosaurs, and other fairy tale-like sculptures.
The festival starts on January 5 and lasts until the end of February, and it is known as the world's fourth biggest winter festival, topped by Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.
The Harbin Winter Wonderland's Frozen Castle celebrates the 30th edition of the festival. It started back in 1963, but it was interrupted for several years by China's Cultural Revolution. After the revolution, the festival only grew bigger, merging with the Heilongjiang International Ski Festival and creating a world-known attraction.