Harbin Ice and Snow World is a seasonal theme park. Every winter, construction workers use swing saws to carve ice into blocks from the frozen surface of the nearby Songhua River. The sculptures require roughly 200,000 cubic meters of ice, all hewn from the Songhua River.

Then sculptors from China and overseas have just 15 days to carve the ice into sculptures. Tens of thousands of designers and workers toil day and night in the lead-up to the launch of the festival.

Lights are also used to give color to ice, creating spectacular scenery when lit up at night. Apart from the ice sculptures, recreational activities also attract tourists to the festival.