Having grown up in Southern California I cannot even imagine weather like this. Located in northeast China, Harbin is under the influence of the cold winter wind directly from Siberia. The average temperature in January is minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Farenheit), and that is just the average. They have aptly nicknamed it “Ice City” and every year the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is held there. They take ice from the frozen Songhua river and carve it into huge blocks which are then sculpted with chisels, ice picks, and saws by ice sculptors. Multi-colored lights are used to bring color to the sculptures, which are exquisitely detailed. There are a few different activities people can take part in, including alpine skiing and, as you can see above, winter swimming (no, thank you). The festival lasts about one month, but can last longer depending on the weather. It seems like they have found a great way to counter the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
[via The Big Picture]
