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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — The opening ceremony of the 6th Harbin Ice Harvesting Festival was held on the frozen surface of the Songhua River on Sunday, marking the start of preparations for a series of grand annual winter tourism projects.
According to Heilongjiang Broadcasting, the theme of this year's event was "Harvesting the First Ice for a Dazzling Future," symbolizing the creative reinterpretation of the centuries-old culture of ice and snow.
At the festival's opening ceremony, hundreds of performers in traditional ice-harvesting costumes performed the "Ice Harvesting Dance" to the rhythm of deafening drumbeats. The "Ice Harvester Leader" delivered a blessing, after which dozens of his comrades began harvesting the first ice of the 2025-2026 winter season, singing along to the theme song. The ritual culminated in the presentation of a red silk ribbon to the audience, symbolizing the passing of happiness from generation to generation.
This year's ice-harvesting festival also featured an intangible cultural heritage exhibit and a food fair. Enormous ice and snow displays, including a six-meter ice sculpture, a snow sculpture of "tankhulu" (candied fruit and berries on a stick), "Modern" ice cream, frozen pears, and a giant snowman, became popular photo spots among tourists.
Ice blocks harvested from the Songhua River will be used to build the Great World of Ice and Snow Park and other winter tourism facilities in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China.
Following the ice harvesting festival in Harbin, it is expected that long-awaited ice and snow-themed tourist projects will open in succession, including the "Great World of Ice and Snow" park, the International Snow Sculpture Art Fair on Taiyangdao Island (Sun Island), an ice and snow marathon, and dragon boat races on ice.
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