The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, commonly known as the Harbin Ice Festival, stands as one of China's most renowned winter tourism events and the world's largest ice and snow-themed extravaganza. The 42nd edition of the festival is set to commence on January 5, 2026, at the Harbin Ice and Snow World. The 2026 festival will introduce more high-tech elements, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), providing visitors with a more immersive experience.

Key theme parks of the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival comprise the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, the Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair, and the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival. It is advisable to explore the Harbin Ice and Snow World and Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair in the evening, while the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo and the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival are best enjoyed during the day. Weather permitting, these theme parks will open to visitors around December 20, 2025, and close by late February or early March 2026. Sun Island and the Songhua River serve as pivotal venues for the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. Furthermore, Central Street, Stalin Park, Harbin Music Park, Jiuzhan Park, and Harbin Volga Manor are popular destinations for ice festival activities.

During the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival, major theme parks like the Harbin Ice and Snow World, Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, and Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair will showcase intricate ice and snow landscapes. Crafted by skilled ice and snow artists, these displays feature ice sculptures, snow sculptures, and ice lanterns, each intricately detailed and visually captivating, offering visitors a visual feast.

The festival also hosts various ice and snow cultural exchanges, daily winter swimming performances, ice and snow sports competitions, international and national ice and snow sculpture contests, ice and snow group weddings, and cultural performances.

Apart from admiring the ice and snow landscapes, visitors can partake in a range of winter activities such as ice skating, skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling.

For skiing enthusiasts during the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival, recommended ski resorts include Mingdu Ski Resort, Jihua Ski Resort, Maoershan Ski Resort, and Yabuli Ski Resort.

When visiting Harbin during the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival, in addition to the festival's theme parks, consider exploring attractions like Central Street, Gogol Street, Chinese Baroque, Guandong Ancient Street, Volga Manor, St. Sophia Cathedral, Harbin Siberian Tiger Park, Harbin Polarland Park, Heilongjiang Provincial Museum, The Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed By Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, Dragon Tower, Jile Temple, Harbin Confucian Temple, Yabuli Ice and Snow Gallery, Datuzi Mountain, China Snow Valley, and China's Snow Town.

For those planning a visit to Harbin during the 2026 Ice Festival, it is advisable to avoid peak local periods: December 24-26, 2025, January 1-3, 2026, and February 16-22, 2026. During these periods, tourist spots are crowded, and hotel prices are significantly higher.

For further details on planning your trip to the 2026 International Ice and Snow Festival, please refer to the following articles:

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, commonly known as the Harbin Ice Festival, stands as one of China's most renowned winter tourism events and the world's largest ice and snow-themed extravaganza. The 42nd edition of the festival is set to commence on January 5, 2026, at the Harbin Ice and Snow World. The 2026 festival will introduce more high-tech elements, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), providing visitors with a more immersive experience.

Key theme parks of the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival comprise the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, the Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair, and the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival. It is advisable to explore the Harbin Ice and Snow World and Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair in the evening, while the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo and the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival are best enjoyed during the day. Weather permitting, these theme parks will open to visitors around December 20, 2025, and close by late February or early March 2026. Sun Island and the Songhua River serve as pivotal venues for the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. Furthermore, Central Street, Stalin Park, Harbin Music Park, Jiuzhan Park, and Harbin Volga Manor are popular destinations for ice festival activities.

During the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival, major theme parks like the Harbin Ice and Snow World, Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, and Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Art Fair will showcase intricate ice and snow landscapes. Crafted by skilled ice and snow artists, these displays feature ice sculptures, snow sculptures, and ice lanterns, each intricately detailed and visually captivating, offering visitors a visual feast.

The festival also hosts various ice and snow cultural exchanges, daily winter swimming performances, ice and snow sports competitions, international and national ice and snow sculpture contests, ice and snow group weddings, and cultural performances.

Apart from admiring the ice and snow landscapes, visitors can partake in a range of winter activities such as ice skating, skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling.

For skiing enthusiasts during the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival, recommended ski resorts include Mingdu Ski Resort, Jihua Ski Resort, Maoershan Ski Resort, and Yabuli Ski Resort.

When visiting Harbin during the 2026 Harbin Ice Festival, in addition to the festival's theme parks, consider exploring attractions like Central Street, Gogol Street, Chinese Baroque, Guandong Ancient Street, Volga Manor, St. Sophia Cathedral, Harbin Siberian Tiger Park, Harbin Polarland Park, Heilongjiang Provincial Museum, The Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed By Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, Dragon Tower, Jile Temple, Harbin Confucian Temple, Yabuli Ice and Snow Gallery, Datuzi Mountain, China Snow Valley, and China's Snow Town.

For those planning a visit to Harbin during the 2026 Ice Festival, it is advisable to avoid peak local periods: December 24-26, 2025, January 1-3, 2026, and February 16-22, 2026. During these periods, tourist spots are crowded, and hotel prices are significantly higher.