China’s Ice and Snow Tourism Season Opens: Harbin Leads the 2025-2026 Winter Spectacle

Harbin (TRI) – China’s 2025-2026 ice and snow tourism season has officially begun, with the grand opening of the 27th Harbin Ice-Snow World on December 17, 2025. Recognized as the world’s largest ice and snow theme park, this year’s edition covers 1.2 million square meters and features 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow harvested from the Songhua River.

Themed “Ice and Snow, Fairy Tale World”, the park showcases colossal illuminated sculptures – some towering over 50 meters – intricate ice castles, massive snow carvings, super-long ice slides (the longest exceeding 500 meters), interactive zones, nightly light shows, parades, and winter activities such as snow tubing, ice biking, and skating. New highlights include AI-enhanced lighting displays, immersive projection mapping on ice structures, and expanded family-friendly areas with themed fairy-tale zones.

Complementing attractions now open or in trial phase:

• Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo: Spanning 1.5 million square meters, it features hundreds of massive snow sculptures created by international artists.
• Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival: Offers 260 snow sculptures, 60 entertainment projects, ice sailing, winter swimming demonstrations, and riverside fireworks.

The full Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival runs officially from January 5, 2026, through late February or early March (weather-dependent), drawing global attention with its blend of art, culture, and extreme winter experiences.

Nationwide Ice and Snow Tourism Momentum

China’s “ice-snow economy” continues its rapid expansion, with provinces across the north launching coordinated events:

• Heilongjiang (home to Harbin) targets record visitation with extended ski seasons at Yabuli and Xuexiang (“China’s Snow Town”).
• Jilin promotes Changbai Mountain for volcanic hot springs and powder snow skiing.
• Xinjiang highlights Altay’s ancient ski heritage and Hemu village’s fairy-tale winter landscapes.
• Inner Mongolia offers grassland snow festivals and reindeer sledding in Hulunbuir.
• Ski resorts nationwide report early openings, enhanced snow-making technology, and new luxury lodges.

Government initiatives include student “snow breaks,” discounted tickets for families, and eco-friendly practices like recycled water for ice production. The season aligns with China’s visa-free policies (45 days for many nationalities) and multilingual apps to attract overseas visitors from Russia, South Korea, Japan, and Europe.

Last season’s success – Harbin alone hosted over 90 million visitors and generated billions in revenue – sets ambitious targets for 2025-2026, with projections of nationwide ice-snow tourism exceeding 400 million trips and RMB 600 billion in economic impact.

Why This Season Stands Out

• Visual Spectacle: Nighttime illuminations transform the parks into glowing wonderlands, best viewed from -20°C evenings.
• Cultural Immersion: Folk performances, hot pot feasts, and Russian-influenced architecture in Harbin add unique flavor.
• Accessibility: Direct international flights to Harbin, high-speed rail links, and English/Korean signage improvements.

China’s ice and snow season delivers one of the planet’s most extraordinary winter experiences – a dazzling fusion of art, nature, and adventure that’s growing bigger and more sophisticated each year.