World's largest ice and snow theme park opens, igniting China's winter tourism fever VIDEO
Baku, December 18, AZERTAC
He Rui braved the howling wind to glide down the 521-meter Super Ice Slides at Harbin Ice-Snow World in Northeast China's Harbin city, as this winter's first group of tourists flocked to the world's largest ice and snow theme park on Wednesday for the long-awaited winter entertainment, according to Xinhua.
The tourist from Southwest China's Guizhou province traveled more than 3,000 kilometers for the magical experience after years of anticipation and was visibly thrilled by the exhilarating fun.
At 10 am, Harbin Ice-Snow World officially opened for the season, unveiling its most spectacular edition yet, featuring landmark attractions, thoughtful services and magnificent ice sculptures across a record 1.2 million square meters of park area.
Like He, many early-bird visitors rushed to the park's iconic attractions and were delighted by the enhanced experiences.
The Super Ice Slides retained its 24-lane layout and extended its longest track to 521 meters, while the 120-meter sky wheel also reopened, giving visitors a bird's-eye view of every winter wonder in the park, according to Guo Hongwei, chairman of the Harbin Ice and Snow World Co Ltd.
At the park's entrance, dance and drum performances, along with cans of "First-day Ice," were specially offered to welcome early visitors. Collected during Harbin's previous ice-cutting festival, the ice symbolizes good fortune in local custom and quickly became a trending topic on Chinese social media.
The main tower, the tallest and largest standalone structure in the park, is shaped like the Chinese character for mountain cradled by snowflakes, symbolizing the country's goal for a thriving ice and snow economy.
This year's ice sculptures showcase a dazzling blend of historical and contemporary marvels from around the globe.
Dazzling replicas of central China's Yellow Crane Tower and Harbin's Chinese Baroque-style buildings stand alongside Belgium's Manneken-Pis, while impressive aircraft carrier and submersible models captivate young visitors.
"The sculptures amazed me with their mix of Eastern and Western artistic styles. I've never seen anything like this, even in other countries, and it's absolutely worth the visit," said Huang Jianlong, a Chinese student studying in Britain who is currently enjoying his winter vacation.
In addition to its sparkling attractions, the park has introduced new performances and activities, including singing competitions, dance battles and fantasy indoor shows, expanding the entertainment offerings, Guo said.
"We are dedicated to offering visitors a grand ice-and-snow carnival with our winter resources and ever-optimizing services," he added.
Apart from the free hot drinks and guided services, Guo said a 5,000-square-meter air-supported dome is now open in the park to offer visitors a warm retreat.
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