Harbin Welcomes Another Ice and Snow Season: Ice and Snow World Adopts Netizens’ Suggestions to Set Up a Visitor “Entertainment” Area
On December 2, according to Heilongjiang News Network, the construction of ice sculptures for the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World began. As one of the landmark attractions of this year’s Harbin Ice and Snow World, the main entrance, titled “Shared Dream of Ice and Snow,” will welcome visitors from all directions with an open stance.
The design of “Shared Dream of Ice and Snow” is inspired by the theme slogan of the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025, “Shared Dream of Ice and Snow, United Heart of Asia.” The overall design of the gate cleverly integrates the forms of ice and snow, a heart, and dream clouds. With dream clouds as the link, the gate intertwines ice and snow with a heart through smooth lines, symbolizing the resonance and pursuit of Asian people’s dreams on ice and snow. At the bottom of the gate, the sports icons of the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 are presented in colorful ice. These sports icons, visually robust, elegant, or passionate, vividly display the sportsmanship of Asian winter athletes striving and continuously surpassing themselves against the backdrop of ice and snow.
The preliminary work for the ice sculptures in the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World park is proceeding in an orderly manner.
What new ideas does this year’s Ice and Snow World have to maintain the popularity of ice and snow tourism? The Paper noticed that earlier, a netizen suggested through the “Leader’s Message Board” on People’s Daily Online that a small area in the Ice and Snow World be designated as a netizen activity area where those who want to DIY can enter early.
In November, Harbin Madier Cultural Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd. replied, “We have always highly valued the ideas and creativity of tourists and netizens, and the netizen’s suggestion is commendable. Regarding the suggestion of setting up a netizen ‘activity’ area, we have studied its feasibility and specific implementation plan and created an exclusive area for tourists to fully express their creativity and individuality – the Ice and Snow Research and Learning Area. In this area, tourists can add more vitality and fun to the Ice and Snow World through various forms of ‘activities’ and also allow more people to experience the charm of the fusion of ice and snow culture with creativity.”
The reply also stated that they will continue to pay attention to netizens’ suggestions and feedback, constantly explore and innovate, and bring a more diverse and unique ice and snow experience to everyone.
At the series of themed press conferences on Harbin’s ice and snow season on December 3, Luo Xin, Deputy General Manager of Harbin Ice and Snow World Co., Ltd., introduced that the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World adheres to the concept of innovation, leadership, and breakthrough, with the theme “Shared Dream of Ice and Snow, United Heart of Asia.” The park’s design and construction will fully integrate elements of the Asian Winter Games, using a total of 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow to create a more dazzling ice and snow-themed amusement park, adding splendor to the Asian Winter Games.
The preliminary work for the ice sculptures in the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World park is proceeding in an orderly manner.
According to Luo Xin, this winter, all venues of the Four Seasons Ice and Snow Project will be fully operational, and the commercial services and restrooms in the park have been scientifically and rationally arranged with additional restrooms and warm rooms, and heated shelters in the queuing area for the big slides. In queuing areas for attractions such as the super ice slide, ice and snow show venue, and snowflake Ferris wheel, staff will provide visitors with hot water, ginger tea, and other warm beverages. At the same time, park volunteers are always available to provide consultation and guidance services to tourists.
The Paper noted that Harbin has recently held three press conferences in a series themed around the ice and snow season.
Among them, Wang Hongxin, Director of the Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau, introduced that after a sizzling previous winter, the new ice and snow season of 2024-2025 is about to kick off grandly. This year’s Harbin Ice and Snow Season will be held from early November 2024 to mid-March 2025, closely revolving around the 9th Asian Winter Games in 2025, with the theme “Date with Harbin, Warm World of Ice and Snow.” It adheres to a broad vision, reflects internationalization, integrates multiple colors, and emphasizes high quality, polishing Harbin’s city brand as the “Ice World, Snow Universe” and creating a world-class ice and snow tourism resort and a highland for the ice and snow economy.
He said that this ice and snow season will feature a series of tourism products and activities with distinct ice and snow characteristics, innovate the ice and snow tourism industry, optimize ice and snow tourism scenarios, and meet the new expectations of citizens and tourists. It will host featured events such as the 5th Harbin Ice Harvesting Festival, the 41st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, the 26th Ice and Snow World, the 51st Ice Lantern Art Garden Party, the 7th Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival, the 36th International Ice Sculpture Competition, and the 12th International Team Ice Sculpture Competition to unleash the appeal of Harbin’s ice and snow brand activities. More than 500 ice and snow sports venues will be built in venues such as the Songhua River, city parks, squares, school playgrounds, and inland rivers and lakes, offering popular ice and snow entertainment products like skating, curling, and ice hockey. Over 100 ice and snow festivals, competitions, and events will be organized to continuously consolidate and expand the achievements of the “300 Million People Engaging in Ice and Snow Sports.” The experience of “the city within the ice scenery” will be enhanced by constructing ice sculptures and snow carvings at key locations such as main streets, city entrances, airports, railway stations, and major squares, transforming the city into a beautiful fairy-tale world of ice and snow.
The preliminary work for the ice sculptures in the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World park is proceeding in an orderly manner.
This ice and snow season will focus on the 6 major events, 11 sub-events, and 64 competitions of the Asian Winter Games, as well as the “Exciting Harbin” test events and a series of winter sports events, connecting competition venues, ice and snow events, and ice and snow scenic spots to create ten boutique themed tourist routes for “Traveling with the Events,” allowing the passionate and high-spirited Asian winds to blow through “Harbin” once again. Snow-based recreational products will be developed according to local conditions, complementing high-end skiing, sports competitions, and mass experiences. Events such as the 37th Sun Island Snow Sculpture Expo, the Yabuli Spring Snow Festival, the Club Opening Ceremony, the 5th Fenlan Snow Dynamic Cross-Country Skiing Marathon, the 27th International Snow Sculpture Competition, and the 17th International College Student Snow Sculpture Contest will be held to integrate ice and snow sports, ice and snow athletics, and ice and snow tourism, further igniting the enthusiasm of citizens and tourists in winter. The city’s ski resorts, ski slopes, and supporting infrastructure will be upgraded and renovated, and 15 ski resorts, including Yabuli Ski Resort, Yuquan International Hunting Ground, and Shangjing International, will be opened. The three ski resorts in Yabuli Ski Resort will be interconnected, providing an experience and service of “one card, smooth skiing on three mountains” across 56 ski slopes, making it the preferred destination for winter outdoor sports in China. Large snow entertainment projects such as alpine snow tubing, snow carnivals, and snowmobiles, integrating multiple snow games and activities, will be launched to meet the snow entertainment needs of citizens and tourists. Snowman viewing resources throughout the city will be integrated, and a series of snowman photo spots will be launched in core areas such as Qunli Music Park, Dejia Dock, Sun Island Scenic Area, Harbin Polar Park, Chinese Baroque Historical and Cultural District, and Volga Manor, inviting citizens and tourists to have a snowball fight, build a snowman, and spend winter in “Harbin.”
This ice and snow season will firmly establish the concept of “sharing by both hosts and guests” and “service first,” continuing to make efforts across the entire chain of “dining, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping, and entertainment,” enriching the supply of tourism products, deepening the integration and innovation of industry formats, and creating six new ice and snow tourism scenarios. New ice and snow cultural scenarios such as the Yabuli Ice and Snow Culture Exhibition Hall, the Pingfang Ice and Snow Culture Museum, and the immersive cultural and tourism format of the “Harbin” story will be launched; new ice and snow sports scenarios such as snowmobiles, snow carnivals, and fantasy ice and snow sports parks will be introduced; new ice and snow consumption scenarios such as themed特色 streets integrating trendy districts, popular photo spots, joyful socializing, and leisure entertainment will be launched; new ice and snow creative scenarios such as the “Harbin Gift” creative store, the Penguin Snowmobile Parade, the Asian Winter Games cultural and creative themed street, and the Xichenghongchang Ice and Snow Fashion Highlands
