Bird's eye view of a colorful ice city

Geng Hongjie/VCG via AP Images 

One Cool City

On January 5, the high temperature in Harbin, China, was bone-chilling. It barely rose above zero degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrr! But the frigid weather didn’t stop more than 800,000 people from having fun. They headed to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. It’s one of the largest winter celebrations in the world.

The winter wonderland includes huge works of frozen art. Artists from around the world create them from ice and snow. This year’s festival includes a towering castle. There are also icy versions of famous landmarks, like the Great Wall of China.

People who go to the festival can zip down huge ice slides. There’s a heart-shaped ice maze too. At night, the city comes to life in a rainbow of colors. Neon lights shine through the snowy displays. 

Setting up the frosty festival takes months. Workers cut tens of thousands of ice blocks from the frozen Songhua (sohng-HWAH) River. The body of water winds through Harbin. Artists then carve the blocks and stack them. They use saws, chisels, and other tools. The artists make hundreds of frozen structures.

The ice festival is expected to last until late February. That’s when the weather in Harbin usually warms up. But this annual frosty wonderland will be back again next winter.

  1. Based on the article, what does the expression “bone-chilling” mean? What clues in the article help you figure it out?
  2. What are the main steps involved in creating the ice festival’s sculptures?
  3. How does the photo that appears with the article help you understand what happens at the ice festival?
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