Harbin Ice Lantern Festival
Grateful thanks to David Dong for this beautiful photograph
Harbin lies to the North East of China and is well known as the Ice City for its long cold arctic winters. The annual Harbin Ice Lantern Festival dates back to the Quing Dynasty (1644-1911). A candle was placed inside a frozen bucket shaped ice block with a hole chipped out in the middle to support the candle, thus becoming the perfect windproof lantern for your doorstep. Thereafter ice lanterns were made during some of the traditional festivals and even today the ice lanterns are a particular favourite of all the architecturally sculpted pieces on display.
Now known as The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, it was re-established 1985 as an annual festival well after the end of the Cultural Revolution. The festival officially starts around the 5th January each year and lasts for approximately one month. However this all depends upon the weather; the exhibition may open earlier and may even last past the official festive month. Lying just across from the Russian Siberian border, winter temperatures can go as low as -16 degrees Celsius and can even go as low as a perishing -38 degrees Celsius.
I happened upon David Dong’s photographs and asked if I could use one of his beautiful photos to front this blog post which he happily agreed to. Do check out his other photographs which are quite breathtaking with the coloured illuminations showing a fairy tale land of coloured ice.
Many thanks David!
