The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China held its opening ceremony on Sunday 5 January, amid fireworks and celebrations.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/562C/production/_110406022_a35f6779-9c43-47e3-8ca5-4473438ce2a3.jpg)
The annual festival, in China’s north-east Heilongjiang province, is one of the biggest ice and snow festivals in the world.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/EF4C/production/_110406216_7fa435d5-d724-4d01-bad4-253f8315bd97.jpg)
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7E04/production/_110406223_harbin_2_afp.jpg)
About 220,000 cubic metres of ice and snow were reportedly used to build the ice world.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/080C/production/_110406020_harbin_1_afp.jpg)
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/163B4/production/_110406019_d9c87440-1aed-4d1b-8c47-886a758a2b5d.jpg)
Visitors were treated to a towering frozen ice palace.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/8E6C/production/_110406463_a6350532-a9a0-4483-8754-df2db87bfca6.jpg)
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/11594/production/_110406017_651f2e15-5170-495b-8a12-8aa8459bc1b9.jpg)
There was even an ice steam train.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/404C/production/_110406461_e2f5ef0f-6068-4d10-8762-36eeba6c2dee.jpg)
The 36th Harbin Ice Festival began in 1963 and was interrupted for a few years because of China’s Cultural Revolution, resuming again in 1985.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/13D6C/production/_110406218_325a84ef-9487-41ac-88e3-847aee4cff96.jpg)
As well as towering ice structures, the festival includes activities like sledging, ice hockey, ice football, speed skating and Alpine skiing competitions.
![Football at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/56F4/production/_110406222_e6b54bd3-5eb5-47a9-a0ff-ded22a997ea7.jpg)
There are also swimming competitions in frozen water. Participants seen below are competing in the Songhua River.
![Swimming competition at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/CC24/production/_110406225_8056b962-c936-400f-b593-77d3fd6a0057.jpg)
![Swimming competition at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/DC8C/production/_110406465_e90c0d05-2606-46cf-94d9-91e921bbba67.jpg)
![Swimming competition at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/08D4/production/_110406220_6ba4a276-f707-4302-b838-d9f57c78f236.jpg)
A highlight of the festival was a snow-themed group wedding ceremony. About 40 couples were reported to have got married this year.
![A mass wedding ceremony at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/126C4/production/_110406457_216145da-7fe8-40dc-b4f6-69c2db31a08c.jpg)
![A mass wedding ceremony at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/174E4/production/_110406459_4001bc2d-47de-422b-8bfb-26ecdca04772.jpg)
Harbin Ice Festival runs until 25 February 2020.
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/A44C/production/_110406024_75274ebf-0afc-41f2-a3f2-8ce1c98da872.jpg)
![Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/12BD8/production/_110406767_shutterstock_editorial_10517759af.jpg)
.
Click Here to Visit Orignal Source of Article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-51007094