Harbin Embraces Another Ice and Snow Season: Ice and Snow World to Set Up a Visitor “Entertainment” Area Based on Netizen Suggestions
On December 2, according to reports, 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, which will be held in Harbin in 2025: “Shared Dream of Ice and Snow, United Heart of Asia.” The overall design of the gate cleverly integrates ice, snow, a heart shape, and dream clouds. With dream clouds as the link, the design interweaves ice, snow, and 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 displayed in colorful ice. These sports icons, through visual representation, appear either strong and powerful, elegant and graceful, or full of passion. Against the backdrop of ice and snow, they vividly showcase the sports spirit of Asian winter athletes striving and continuously surpassing themselves.
The preliminary work for the ice sculptures in the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World park is proceeding in an orderly manner.
What new strategies does this year’s Ice and Snow World have to maintain the popularity of ice and snow tourism? The Paper noticed that earlier, some netizens suggested through the “Leaders’ 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 get involved can enter early.
In November, Harbin Madier Cultural Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd. replied that they have always highly valued the ideas and creativity of tourists and netizens, and the suggestion made by the netizens is commendable. Regarding the proposal to set up a netizen “activity” area, after studying its feasibility and specific implementation plan, they have created an exclusive area for tourists to unleash their creativity and showcase their personality – the Ice and Snow Education and Research 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 integration of ice and snow culture with creativity.
The reply also stated that they will continue to pay attention to the suggestions and feedback from netizens, constantly explore and innovate, and bring a more丰富多彩 and unique ice and snow experience to everyone.
At the series of themed press conferences on Harbin’s ice and snow season held 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 concepts 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 reasonably arranged with additional restrooms and warm rooms, and heated shelters have been added to the queuing area for the large slides. In the queuing areas for attractions such as the super ice slide, ice and snow show venue, and snowflake Ferris wheel, staff will provide visitors with warm water, ginger tea, and other beverages. At the same time, park volunteers are always available to provide visitors with consulting and guidance services.
The Paper noted that Harbin has recently held three consecutive themed press conferences on the ice and snow season.
Among them, Wang Hongxin, Director of the Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau, introduced that after the sizzling previous winter season, the new ice and snow season for 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, revolving around the hosting of the 9th Asian Winter Games in 2025, with the theme “Date with Harbin – A Warm World of Ice and Snow.” It will adhere to a broad vision, reflect internationalization, integrate multiple colors, and emphasize high quality, polishing Harbin’s city brand as the “Ice World, Snow Kingdom” and building it into 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, a series of tourism products and activities with distinct ice and snow characteristics will be created, the ice and snow tourism industry will be innovated, ice and snow tourism scenarios will be optimized, and the new expectations of citizens and tourists will be met. 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, the 12th International Team Ice Sculpture Competition, and other special events will be held to unleash the attractiveness of Harbin’s ice and snow brand activities. More than 500 ice and snow sports venues will be built in places such as the Songhua River, urban parks, squares, school playgrounds, and inland rivers and lakes, offering popular ice and snow recreational products like skating, curling, and ice hockey. Over 100 ice and snow festivals and competitions will be organized to continuously consolidate and expand the achievements of the “300 Million People Engaging in Ice and Snow Sports” initiative. 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 breathtaking winter wonderland.
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 competitions. It will connect competition venues, ice and snow events, and ice and snow scenic spots to create ten boutique themed tourism routes of “Traveling with the Events,” allowing the spirited Asian winds to resonate once again in “Harbin.” Snow-based play experience products will be developed according to local conditions, allowing high-end skiing, sports competitions, and mass experiences to complement each other. Events such as the 37th Sun Island Snow Sculpture Expo, the Yabuli Spring Snow Festival, club opening ceremonies, the 5th Fenlan Snowmobile Marathon, the 27th International Snow Sculpture Competition, and the 17th International University 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 skiing on 56 ski slopes across the “three mountains” with a single card, making it the preferred destination for winter outdoor sports nationwide. Large snow entertainment projects such as alpine snow tubing, snow carnivals, and snowmobiles, as well as a variety of 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 Block, 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 concepts of “sharing by both hosts and guests” and “service first,” continuously strengthening 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 tourism 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 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 neighborhoods, popular photo spots, joyful socializing, and leisure entertainment will be promoted; new ice and snow creative scenarios such as the “Harbin Gift” creative store, the Penguin
