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This winter, the popularity of "Harbin Ice and Snow World" remains undiminished. Since its opening on December 21st, the park has attracted a massive influx of visitors. The figure of 106,000 visitors in just the first two days demonstrates the immense appeal of this icy wonder. With its unique ice sculptures and exciting entertainment activities, Harbin is a must-visit destination for tourists this winter.
Harbin Ice and Snow World was recently awarded the Guinness World Record for "World's Largest Indoor Ice and Snow Amusement Park" at its grand opening this month. The theme, "Winter Dream, Love Between Asia," is that the park was constructed from 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, incorporating elements inspired by the upcoming Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Olympics, which will open in February 2025, right after the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. This will also be China's first major international ice and snow event since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Harbin Ice and Snow World Park (China) continues to attract a large number of visitors this year; however, overcrowding and ticket scalping are causing much frustration.
With a total planned area of 1 million square meters, an increase from last year's 800,000 square meters, this is the largest version of the "Ice World" park in its 26-year history. The park has 9 main areas, recreating typical landscapes of 42 countries of the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) in the form of ice structures, notably the Temple of Heaven in China, Osaka Castle in Japan, and the Taj Mahal in India.
The park's most popular attraction is the Super Ice Slide, which has increased its number of slides to 24, with a 300-meter-long windproof shelter installed in the queue area to provide visitors with a temporary break from the cold weather while enjoying the park's views. Just an hour after the park opened, long lines of people were already waiting to ride the Super Ice Slide.
Besides its icy landscapes, the park also hosts magic shows, art exhibitions, and other events, offering new and exciting experiences for both domestic and international visitors. The entrance fee for adults is 328 yuan (approximately 1.5 million VND). The park also offers discounted and free admission for certain groups of visitors.
The capital of Heilongjiang province is known as the "Ice City" or "Moscow of the East" due to its frigid climate and is a popular winter tourist destination.
As a renowned ice and snow theme park, Harbin Ice World is one of China's iconic winter attractions and quickly gained popularity on social media last year.
Due to the popularity of this "fairyland," ticket scalping is rampant and carried out openly. The official ticketing platform for Harbin Ice and Snow World Park lists a standard adult ticket at 328 yuan (approximately 1.15 million VND) (discounted tickets are 240 yuan). A full experience ticket costs 800 yuan (nearly 3 million VND), and a premium experience ticket for two people is 3,988 yuan (14 million VND).
The amount of ice used was over 200,000 m3 (approximately 80 standard Olympic swimming pools).
The full-experience and premium-experience tickets allow visitors easy entry through a fast-track system. Purchasing these tickets isn't complicated; they can be bought directly on the official platform. According to Lanjing News, before the official launch of the full-experience ticket sales channel, some ticket scalpers had already started selling these tickets for 1,500 to 1,600 yuan, nearly double the official price. The most expensive premium-experience tickets were often marked up by 1,500 to 2,500 yuan, to the point where even the ticket sellers complained about the exorbitant prices.
International tourists are advised to visit Harbin between January 6th and 20th, 2025, when the festival has already opened, and to avoid the New Year holiday when domestic tourists flock there in large numbers.
Last year, China recorded over 385 million winter holiday tourists nationwide, a 38% increase year-on-year, with related revenue rising 50%.
Harbin alone received over 87 million tourists, a 300% increase compared to the same period last year, generating 124.8 billion yuan in tourism revenue, a 500% increase. The 25th Harbin Ice and Snow World Festival last year also attracted over 2.7 million visitors.
According to China Daily, to boost winter economic growth in Northeast China, the Chinese government recently announced tourism stimulus strategies including special snow and ice holidays, increased flight numbers, and optimized visa exemption policies, aiming to attract more domestic and international tourists.
