Harbin Ice Park ( Festival part 2)

 In the late afternoon on Saturday we headed to Harbin's Ice Park just before sunset. It was only bedlam! I counted over 46 coaches, a lot of minibuses, and hundreds of cars and taxis. We put our ice spikes on very fast as it was very slippery underfoot. The crowds entering were happy and excited and there was a really great atmosphere considering there were several thousand people present, a real family event.

Again the park was huge, the sculptures huge. The ice is carved in blocks from a tributary river which runs into the main river running through the town, and hauled into the park.  I read that the central ice tower (which looks a bit like Isengard from Lord of the Rings!) is 80m tall. At sunset the lights begin to come on, all the LED lighting is incorporated into the ice as it is built and carved and much of it changed colours from time to time. I will just post photos, words can not describe the size and number of sculptures.

The last two photos are the lights changing on an old monastery bell, with a huge swing hammer to ring. People were queueing up to take turns to ring the bell which had a beautiful deep sound which reverberated up through the ice as well as in the air. It is said the sound of the bell wafts prayers for prosperity to the Buddha, and if you could hear the sound you would not doubt that it was celestial.

There were ice rinks, an ice-bicycle rink, and various other activity and ice game places, children climbing and sliding on everything, outdoor hot food stands, and frozen food stands, and a huge long ice slide! (3 photos up, the green lights in the background behind the blessings trees.)

It was just an amazing experience. For the last two months I was hoping that the thaw would not begin before I reached Shanghai, so as soon as Wendy read the fortnightly weather forecast, she booked the trip! Once in a lifetime!