Amazing Pictures of World’s Largest Ice Festival Opens in China

The 36th annual Harbin Ice Festival has begun in northern China, bringing with it perhaps the largest collection of ice sculptures and snowscapes ever seen by human eyes. Crafted from 220,000 cubic metres of ice drawn entirely from the frozen Songhua River, the exhibits are expected to draw more than 200 million tourists, both domestic and foreign.

Here are a few visual highlights from the frosty festivities, from elaborate ice palaces to exhilarating snow slides…