A Long, Glittering Day Inside Harbin Ice and Snow World

Harbin Ice and Snow World was the centerpiece of this trip to Northeast China, and also the place I had been looking forward to most.

Opening hours, tickets, and the rush for reservations

The park covers about 1.2 million square meters and is officially open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Some visitors online said it may open around 15 minutes early, and there were also stories of people arriving at eight or nine in the morning to queue outside, mainly to compete for reservation slots for the most popular attractions. We entered at around 10:10 a.m. and barely had to wait.

The official ticket price is 325 yuan for adults and 240 yuan for children. Through the official WeChat account, there are also combined tickets for several Harbin attractions. For example, the Ice and Snow World + Siberian Tiger Park thrilling bus ticket costs 425 yuan per person, which is 30 yuan cheaper than buying the two tickets separately, so it is the better-value option.

A colleague mentioned that when their family visited last year, they stayed at the Ice and Snow Hot Spring Camp inside the scenic area. They booked a family package for around 4,800 yuan per night. It included breakfast for four, admission tickets, and a series of VIP benefits. For high-demand attractions such as the super ice slides and the Snowflake Ferris Wheel, they did not need to camp on their phones for reservations and could use a dedicated fast-access channel instead. The park also sells a separate fast-pass ticket for 988 yuan per person, which similarly avoids the scramble for slots and long queues.

What there is to do inside the park

The attractions in the park can roughly be divided into five types.

The first group is free, but requires a reservation and usually involves a long wait: the 365-meter super ice slide, the 521-meter super ice slide, the car ballet show, and the Snowflake Ferris Wheel. The ice slides are only open to visitors aged 15 or above and at least 160 cm tall. Once inside the park, reservations open on the phone at each hour. The ice slides open on even-numbered hours, while the Ferris Wheel opens on odd-numbered hours. The car ballet show becomes available for reservation in the afternoon and is comparatively easier to book.

The second group is also free, but requires on-site queuing: the ski area and skating rink. Each session lasts half an hour, so these are better suited to visitors with plenty of time.

The third group is free and can be played whenever you come across it: ice bicycles, spinning ice tops, and the small ice slides scattered around the park. Staff are posted at the small slides, and snow mats are clearly not allowed. You slide down directly in your trousers, so the friction is fairly strong and the ride is not especially smooth.

The fourth group consists of paid activities, such as ice karting and snowmobiles. There are also rides and experiences including Crazy Octopus, ice bumper cars, snow caterpillar rides, ice fishing, and feeding reindeer, which can be chosen according to interest.

The fifth group is performances. Several stages host multiple free shows and ice-and-snow parades each day, while there are also paid performances such as The King’s Chariot.

The ice sculptures are still the real highlight

For all the rides and performances, the heart of Harbin Ice and Snow World is still the ice sculpture display. The sculptures are carved from natural ice taken from the Songhua River. Interestingly, while the park is open to visitors, ice harvesting for the next edition of Ice and Snow World is already underway.

These newly cut blocks are not used right away. Instead, they are stored outdoors through spring, summer, and autumn, then carved into landscapes the following winter. When I shared this with Hillway and the two children, they were surprised: how could ice stored outside survive the heat of summer? Only after I showed them related videos and photos did they believe it.

The key lies in professional ice-storage techniques. Blocks are stacked layer by layer into giant ice piles. The exterior is covered with thick insulating materials such as thermal cotton, rice husks, and sun-shading boards to block direct sunlight and reduce heat transfer. At the same time, the sheer mass of the ice pile creates thermal inertia. With proper ventilation and temperature control, a small amount of meltwater on the outside can refreeze into an ice shell, sealing the pile further and helping preserve the blocks until the next winter.

The sculptures include castles, palaces, animals, and artistic installations. Many are huge in scale and finely detailed; some reach dozens of meters in height and feel genuinely imposing. During the day, the ice is crystal clear and catches the sunlight beautifully. Among the most memorable works were a replica of Harbin’s old railway station, the main tower inspired by the Chinese character “山” for mountain, Dai Temple from Shandong, Fujian tulou buildings, Wuhan’s Yellow Crane Tower, a romantic rose sculpture, and a dreamy ice-and-snow princess castle. There were also various snow sculptures and snow caves designed for photo posing.

After nightfall, colored lights shine through the ice, and the whole park takes on a more fantastical look. The steam train ice sculpture releases white mist from its chimney, accompanied by a long whistle. Beside the high-speed rail ice sculpture, flowing blue light beams resemble electric tracks and create the illusion of a train racing forward, giving it a strong futuristic feel.

The best time to take photos with the ice sculptures is before sunset, when there is still enough natural light. Unfortunately, daytime passed quickly, and the sun had already gone down before we finished walking through all the sculpture areas. At night, unless you have extra lighting equipment, portrait photos do not turn out as well; it is better to simply enjoy the view.

When we entered the park, light snow started falling again. Inside the “Ice Rhythm Corridor,” several snow machines were also creating artificial snowfall.

Our day: slides, skiing, queues, and missed chances

After entering with the two children, we immediately opened the reservation page and managed to secure slots for the 365-meter super ice slide. After nearly an hour in line, I finally reached the top platform. The slide was more thrilling than expected. It starts gently, then gains speed midway, making your heart jump. If you do not keep your arms tightly against your body, you can sway from side to side and easily bump into the ice walls. Near the end, it slows down and stops quickly. I had fixed my phone to a neck mount and recorded the entire ride.

While I was queuing for the ice slide, Hillway took the two children to try skiing in the park. During the session, he fell while trying to catch up with the little one, who was sliding too fast. His right arm was knocked and kept aching. Since the pain had not eased by the afternoon, we went to the clinic near the South Gate to register and see a doctor. The doctor advised that if the pain continued, he should go to a hospital for an MRI. The park ticket includes accident insurance, and an insurance company would contact us within three days to handle any follow-up. Fortunately, after resting, he was fine.

Throughout the day, we set alarms for the reservation times of the popular attractions. The 521-meter super ice slide, which I most wanted to try, remained impossible to book. The Snowflake Ferris Wheel was also very hard to secure. At 6:10 p.m., we finally booked the 6:50 p.m. car ballet show. After about half an hour of queuing, we entered the outdoor performance area.

The show combined car and motorcycle stunts with molten iron fireworks and fire pot elements. We had seen many of the common stunts elsewhere before, such as car drifting, motorcycle wheelies, molten iron performances, and fire pots, so most of it did not feel especially new. Two parts did stand out, though. One was a car driving on its side, revealing the words “Harbin Welcomes You” attached to the underside of the vehicle, a clever design with a strong local touch. The other was a rather ordinary-looking car that, once started, kept its rear fixed in place while only the front spun around in circles on the snow. It looked silly and funny, and unexpectedly became the most entertaining moment of the show.

At 7:00 p.m., we finally managed to reserve one Snowflake Ferris Wheel slot for the older child. I accompanied her to verify the reservation code, handed her my phone, and let her continue queuing and ride by herself. The whole process took about 20 minutes. From high above, she took many nighttime photos and videos of the park. She did not take selfies because she felt her bangs had become messy from playing too hard.

While she was on the Ferris Wheel, Hillway took the younger child to watch the car ballet show again, and I waited at the exit. The family split up for a while. Since she had my phone, I gave up my last chance to try for the 8:00 p.m. reservation for the 521-meter super ice slide.

Warm rooms, food, phones, and walking conditions

There are many warnings online about how bitterly cold it is to spend time outdoors at Ice and Snow World, but after around 11 hours in the park, we did not actually feel frozen. Partly it was because we were dressed very warmly, and walking around plus playing kept our bodies heated. Another important reason was that the heated rest areas inside the park were warmer than our hotel room. Each time we stepped in for a short break, our bodies warmed up quickly. When we pushed the door open and went back outside, the cold did not feel piercing; it almost felt refreshing.

Free hot water is available in many places across the park. The toilets are heated as well, and they were warm and clean. At the entrance, security staff even helped visitors push the revolving doors.

Our phones also did not experience the widely rumored problems of shutting down from the cold or losing battery extremely fast. From 10 a.m. until after 9 p.m., I frequently took my phone out for photos and videos. Although it felt as cold as a block of ice in my hand, it still had more than half its battery when we left. The hand warmers and power bank we had prepared never came into use. There are also many charging spots in the park, and the Wi-Fi coverage is comprehensive and fast. Apart from temperature, the phone’s battery capacity probably mattered more.

We had both lunch and dinner in the heated ice-and-snow rest hall near the ice bicycle area. There were plenty of seats inside, which made things very convenient. Food prices were not outrageously expensive either: a Laotongguan roujiamo was 15 yuan, beef skewers were 5 yuan, takoyaki was 20 yuan, roasted sweet potatoes were 15 yuan, and hot milk tea was a little over 20 yuan per cup. Overall, the value was acceptable.

The ice cleats we had prepared in advance also turned out to be unnecessary. Most of the paths were covered with soft snow, and staff regularly cleared snow and ice surfaces. With anti-slip snow boots, walking felt steady and safe, completely easing our earlier worry about falling. The safety management was reassuring.

The small regrets left behind

After a full day in the park, my biggest regret was not getting a reservation for the 521-meter super ice slide. Before leaving, we also failed to make it to the ski attraction again. The two children had no interest in looking at ice sculptures, watching performances, or taking photos. They were completely absorbed in snow, ice, and the rides, and they played happily all day. Because most of our time was spent accompanying them, we did not see any of the stage shows or ice-and-snow parades.

For the whole trip, staying warm had been the top priority. We dressed thickly and heavily, with no energy left to think about styling or outfits. Looking through the photos after returning, I still felt a little regretful. I wished we had endured the cold just a bit more and dressed the family up properly for a few good sets of photos.

Inside the park, many young women had clearly prepared their makeup, hairstyles, and outfits carefully. They chose shooting spots again and again, adjusted their poses patiently, and ended up with polished, beautiful winter photos. Compared with my own casual and plain appearance, I could not help feeling that this visit lacked a little of the ceremony that belongs to a world of ice and snow.

Even so, the park’s facilities, services, and visual design were all impressive. The hardest parts were the competition for popular attractions and the tight schedule. But those missed chances and hurried decisions also made this Ice City visit feel real, vivid, and unforgettable.