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Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Friday 27 December 2013 14:42 GMT

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

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1/15In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

A crane is seen next to a newly-built ice sculpture of a castle ahead of the 30th Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

A worker pours water onto ice cubes to make them adhere to each other as he builds an ice sculpture ahead of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

A worker polishes an ice sculpture ahead of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Workers have lunch in their dormitory as they take a break from building ice sculptures ahead of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Workers pull a giant ice cube out of the frozen Songhua River as they extract ice to make sculptures for the upcoming Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

A worker stabs an iron pike into the frozen Songhua River as he extracts giant ice cubes to make sculptures for the upcoming Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Each ice cube weighs about 250 kilograms (551 lb)

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Workers and scaffoldings are seen next to newly-built ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights ahead of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Visitors gather next to an ice gate sculpture in the Zhaolin park at the Harbin Ice lantern festival in Harbin, capital of China's Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Visitors tour an ice castle in the Zhaolin park at the Harbin Ice lantern festival in Harbin, capital of China's Heilongjiang province

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

This ice lantern festival displays more than 2,000 ice sculptures and will last until February 2014

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

According to the festival organizers, nearly 10,000 workers were employed to build the ice and snow sculptures, which require about 180,000 square metres of ice and 150,000 square metres of snow

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

The best collections of ice artworks were exhibited in the following five main places: Ice and Snow World, Ice Lantern Garden Party, Sun Island Scenic Area, Yabuli International Ski Resort, Zhaolin Park

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin's location in northeast China accounts for its arctic climate which provides natural ice and snow. The 'Ice City' of Harbin is recognized as the cradle of ice and snow art in China and is famous for its exquisite and artistic ice and snow sculptures

In pictures: Preparations continue ahead of the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

A visitor passes by an ice tower sculpture in the Zhaolin park at the Harbin Ice lantern festival in Harbin, capital of China's Heilongjiang province

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