HARBIN—The annual ice harvesting ceremony commenced on the frozen expanse of the Songhua River this Sunday, heralding the beginning of Harbin’s vibrant winter tourism season. Dozens of workers, clad in traditional red cotton coats, meticulously carved and extracted glistening ice slabs from the river’s surface using metal chisels and iron poles. These blocks, prized for their remarkable clarity and uniform density, measure approximately 1.6 meters in length and 0.8 meters in width.
The harvested ice will serve as the foundational material for the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the planet’s largest ice and snow theme park. This year’s edition promises unprecedented scale, spanning 1.2 million square meters and utilizing 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow. According to Sun Zemin, deputy director of marketing at Harbin Ice-Snow World Park Co., Ltd., the park will introduce innovative attractions including hot spring camps, cross-country skiing tracks, and themed parades.
The timing of the harvest coincides with Daxue, or Major Snow, a traditional Chinese solar term indicating the arrival of deep winter. Meteorological experts confirm that river ice typically reaches optimal harvesting thickness of over 30 centimeters during this period.
The event attracted substantial crowds of local residents and international tourists, including Russian student Alina Dorokhina, who described the ceremony as “stunning” and noted the warmth and vitality of Harbin’s folk traditions despite the cold environment.
Harbin’s winter tourism strategy has generated remarkable economic returns. Last winter, the city welcomed 90.35 million visitors, generating 137.22 billion yuan (approximately $19.4 billion) in revenue—a 16.6% year-on-year increase. Wang Hongxin, director of Harbin’s culture, radio, television, and tourism department, emphasized plans to integrate ice and snow with educational tours, sports, and technology to enhance the city’s appeal as a premier winter destination.
This development aligns with China’s national strategy to expand its ice-and-snow economy, targeting 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030. The northeastern region, historically known as China’s rustbelt, is experiencing revitalization through winter tourism. Heilongjiang province alone reported a 266.17 billion yuan ice-and-snow market in 2024, with tourism contributing 182.33 billion yuan.