In Heilongjiang, river ice takes center stage

As temperatures continue to drop, winter is turning Northeast China into a world of ice.

On the frozen Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, hundreds of workers are braving extremely cold temperatures and strong winds to supply the city's winter ice gala with raw materials.

In the next three weeks, up to 100,000 cubic meters of ice blocks will be transported to Harbin Ice and Snow World, a chilly live-action amusement park harmoniously combining ice, snow, sound and electricity.

As man-made ice often contains air bubbles and is not strong enough to carve, ice blocks for the park are brought from the Songhua River, which runs through the city.

According to the carving rules, each block of ice must be about 80 centimeters wide, 40 cm thick and 120 cm long.

First, the workers locate a place near the riverbank where the ice is about 40 cm thick. Then the crew uses a chain saw to cut blocks to the required size.

After cutting, a worker uses an iron rod to loosen the block, or slab, and several workers then attach it to hooks and a towline to lift it onto the bank.

Artists will carve the ice into fanciful sculptures and transform the park into a winter wonderland. It has operated for 23 consecutive years. The 24th Harbin Ice and Snow World is planned to cover an area of 810,000 square meters.