HARBIN, China — Defying frigid temperatures, thousands of winter enthusiasts converged Wednesday at the newly opened Harbin Ice-Snow World, marking the spectacular launch of the world’s largest ice and snow theme park’s most ambitious season to date. Spanning an unprecedented 1.2 million square meters, this year’s edition presents a breathtaking fusion of artistic ice craftsmanship and immersive entertainment experiences.
Among the first visitors was He Rui, who journeyed over 3,000 kilometers from Guizhou province to experience the park’s legendary Super Ice Slides. ‘After years of anticipation, the reality exceeded all expectations,’ He remarked, visibly exhilarated after descending the 521-meter ice track.
The 2025-2026 season introduces groundbreaking attractions including a magnificent central tower sculpted in the form of a mountain embraced by snowflakes, symbolizing China’s burgeoning ice-snow economy. Artistic creations range from meticulous replicas of China’s Yellow Crane Tower and Baroque-style architectural marvels to international icons like Belgium’s Manneken-Pis statue. Modern technological achievements are represented through detailed models of aircraft carriers and submersibles.
‘We’ve created an unparalleled synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions,’ stated Guo Hongwei, Chairman of Harbin Ice and Snow World Co Ltd. ‘Our expanded entertainment offerings now include singing competitions, dance performances, and fantastical indoor productions.’
Visitor comfort receives significant enhancement with a 5,000-square-meter climate-controlled dome providing warm respite, complimentary hot beverages, and multilingual guided services. International accessibility improves with streamlined payment systems accepting overseas bank cards.
The park’s opening festivities featured traditional dance and drum performances, with ceremonial distribution of ‘First-day Ice’—frozen artifacts collected during Harbin’s ice-cutting festival, believed to convey good fortune according to local customs.
Harbin’s transformation into China’s premier winter destination continues generating substantial economic impact. Last season recorded 3.56 million visits to Ice-Snow World alone, contributing to Heilongjiang Province’s 266.17 billion yuan ice-snow economy. National ambitions target sector growth reaching 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.
Complementing the main attraction, Harbin simultaneously launches its Sun Island Snow Expo across 1.5 million square meters and an Ice-Snow Carnival along the frozen Songhua River, collectively featuring approximately 260 snow sculptures and 60 specialized winter activity zones.
China’s cultural tourism authorities emphasize developing high-quality winter tourism products during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), with nationwide initiatives including specialized student programs and substantial tourism vouchers attracting global visitors to China’s winter wonderlands.