{"id":10891,"date":"2010-12-01T07:00:17","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T13:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=10891"},"modified":"2016-12-16T10:53:59","modified_gmt":"2016-12-16T16:53:59","slug":"one-for-the-bucket-list-the-harbin-ice-and-snow-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/one-for-the-bucket-list-the-harbin-ice-and-snow-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"One for the bucket list: The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Visit the illuminated city of Harbin with it's life-size, electric colored sculptures from Jan. 5-Feb. 5. Credit: marlopolis.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Vince Font<\/em><\/p>\n

The words \u201cHaerbin Bingdengjie<\/strong>\u201d may not roll easily off your tongue, but one thing\u2019s certain \u2014 experiencing it will make you want to learn to say it right. One of the few places that\u2019s earned a place of distinction among The Seven Wonders of\u00a0My <\/em>World, the Haerbin Bingdengjie in Heliongjiang, China<\/a> — also knows as the Harbin Ice Lantern Festival <\/strong>and the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival — <\/strong>is so downright cool that it makes Disneyland look pass\u00e9, and gives cause to think there\u2019s probably more than a grain of truth to the old saying that a billion Chinese people can\u2019t be wrong.<\/p>\n

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The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival takes place for a month – Jan. 5 – Feb. 5, 2011,\u00a0 in the frigid climes of Northeastern China, a stone\u2019s throw \u2014 in theory, anyway \u2014 from Siberia. If it sounds like I\u2019m describing a no-man\u2019s land, think again. With nearly 10 million residents, the city just so happens to be the tenth most populous in China. That’s no mean feat, by any stretch. But what happens each year at the Harbin ice festival beats that, hands down.<\/p>\n

The panorama of ice sculptures that are created and put on display is positively awe inspiring by day. But come nightfall, when the city of ice is lit up with an array of multicolored lights, it takes on an air of breathtaking beauty that\u2019s as tough to explain as it is to forget. I\u2019m not talking about ice sculptures just a few feet tall, either \u2014 some of these creations stand several stories high and have to be seen in person to be believed.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning a vacation and want to be able to experience something few fellow travelers ever have, the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is just the ticket. Some of the classiest China hotels<\/strong> can also be found in Harbin, and you can score five-star lodgings for the equivalent of a genuine steal. For the best accommodations around, the\u00a0Sofitel Wanda Harbin<\/a> is as good as Harbin hotel<\/strong>s come. With large and luxurious rooms, three unique restaurants, a disco and convenient access to a large shopping mall, you\u2019ll have plenty to do when you\u2019re not off marveling at towering ice sculptures.<\/p>\n

Insider tips: Bundle up and wear boots with good grips, since eventhe streets are layered with 10 cm of ice. And don’t miss\u00a0 a ride on 8mm hide ice slide.<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/strong><\/p>\n