Harbin Ice and Snow World thirteenth

第十三届哈尔滨冰雪大世界。Throngs of visitors crowd into the main entrance of the park, which is divided into seven sections and offers many entertainment choices.

第十三届哈尔滨冰雪大世界。This is the 13th time Harbin presents its Ice and Snow World, which is a theme park and almost a centerpiece of the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, which is now in its 28th year. Here, mammoth structures are sculpted out of gigantic blocks of ice and lit from within, creating the illusion of a fantasyland so colorful one had better visit it in the evening for best viewing experience.

第十三届哈尔滨冰雪大世界。Resembling the church on Moscow's Red Square, this structure is a reminder that 2012 is the China-Russia Tourism Year.

第十三届哈尔滨冰雪大世界。This group of Buddhist towers would fit nicely into Shaolin Temple or anywhere in Bangkok.

第十三届哈尔滨冰雪大世界。As the cost of running the park is exorbitant and the length of operation is uncertain – weather permitting two months at most, commercial sponsors have to be courted and their presence felt throughout the park.

第十三届哈尔滨冰雪大世界。The pirate sign on one of the giant snow sculptures is testament of the city's receptiveness towards outside influences, whether Russian or Caribbean.