In early December, a traditional Ice Harvest Ceremony is held on the frozen-solid Songhua River in Harbin. From then on, thousands of workers cut and collect ice blocks from the river while artists carve and connect the blocks to create various sculptures or buildings. In around 3–4 weeks, Harbin is transformed into a winter wonderland.

Why the Harbin Ice Festival is so special? This winter wonderland is dazzlingly awesome, yet ephemeral. It is a large project, but short-lived: it lasts no more than 3 months. How big is it? Consider for example the amount of ice used: over 200,000 cubic meters (80 Olympic pools). As a normal truck carries 4–7 cubic meters of ice blocks per time, at least 30,000 to 50,000 truck journeys are used for transportation.

Why the Harbin Ice Festival is so special? This winter wonderland is dazzlingly awesome, yet ephemeral. It is a large project, but short-lived: it lasts no more than 3 months. How big is it? Consider for example the amount of ice used: over 200,000 cubic meters (80 Olympic pools). As a normal truck carries 4–7 cubic meters of ice blocks per time, at least 30,000 to 50,000 truck journeys are used for transportation.