Harbin, China, December 22, 2023: On the morning of December 7, the Fourth Harbin Ice Harvest Festival opened with great fanfare by the Songhua River.
Han Shengjian, Vice Governor of the Provincial Government, announced the opening of the festival. Zhang Qixiang, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Harbin, and Beijing Winter Olympics champion Zhang Yuting adorned the “First Ice” with a red ribbon to bring good luck.
Officials from provincial branches of central news agencies, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau, Heilongjiang Radio and Television and Heilongjiang Daily participated in the event.
This year’s Ice Harvest Festival, themed “Harvesting the First Ice and Welcoming the Asian Winter Games,” combined the rich history of ice harvesting culture in the Songhua River basin with ice and snow sports and elements of the Asian Winter Games, which will be held in Harbin in 2025.
This fusion aims to make Harbin’s ice and snow culture shine even brighter. With fluttering flags and resounding drums, the “Bingbatou”, who represented the first ice harvester and donned traditional attire, took the stage to recite prayers, expressing gratitude for the gifts of nature and wishing for peace and abundance in the four seasons.
Winter Olympics champion Zhang Yuting smashed the “first ice block”. Dozens of ice harvesters, accompanied by the lively “Ice Harvest Anthem,” worked together to harvest the first ice from the Songhua River, which symbolizes happiness and auspiciousness. This extended the warmest invitation to visitors from all directions.
This year’s “First Ice” will be transported to the “First Ice Platform” built in front of the Blessing Bell at the Harbin Ice and Snow World. Throughout the 2023-2024 ice and snow season, visitors to the venue can get up close with the “First Ice” and share in the joy and luck.
The event featured ice skating and ice hockey performances, as well as interactive activities for residents and tourists to enjoy the sports on the Songhua River.
In addition to “ice spinning top”, traditional ice activities such as “sliding out,” “ice skate carriages,” “foot skates,” “ice ladder climbing,” and “ice kite flying” were also arranged, providing a thrilling experience of Northeastern folk entertainment for the public and tourists.
The large Asian Winter Games logo and ice chisel sculptures on either side of the stage, as well as the giant curling and frozen pear snow sculptures in the interactive area, were the hottest photo spots at the scene.
Harbin is the only provincial capital in China awarded as the “City of Olympic Champions” by the Chinese Olympic Committee and the first “City of Double Asian Winter Games” in China.
The Ice Harvest Festival not only greatly boosts its ice and snow tourism, but also reflects the city’s long-standing ice and snow culture and demonstrates its confidence and determination to present a wonderful and successful Asian Winter Games again.
Starting from the first ice block today, the ice harvesters will work here for half a month, harvesting over 6,000 cubic meters of ice daily. The ice will be transported to the Harbin Ice and Snow World, which, in a few days, will be presented to the world as a carefully sculpted gift from Harbin, the kingdom of ice and snow sculpting. It will be another ice and snow miracle and a wonderland of joy and fun for both local citizens and international tourists.
