Harbin international beer festival to open

The 2018 China•Harbin International Beer Festival will open in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province on July 7, and run until July 22.

Having been successfully held for 17 years, this year’s beer festival highlights new-flavor beers, improved site facilities, interactive games, free entry tickets and World Cup-related activities. 

A number of famous beer makers from across the world will present their beers to visitors, including renowned names such as Snow Beer, Harbin Brewer, Budweiser, and Tsingtao Beer. The new-flavor beer developed by Harbin Brewer will make its debut during the beer festival.

Meanwhile, inspired by the World Cup being held in Russia, interactive activities related to soccer will be held to provide entertainment for visitors. Giant screens will broadcast World Cup matches for soccer fans. Other activities such as exotic dancing, football baby shows, magic shows and beer competitions will also take place.

In addition, infrastructure at Harbin Ice and Snow World, the venue of the beer festival, has been improved and expanded with an extra 120,000 square meters of greenery and enhanced security procedures. Entry to the site, which can accommodate 20,000 visitors per day, is free. 

Compared with similar events held in the past, this year’s festival features two brand new items –– a water sightseeing route running between Harbin Ferry Port and the west side of Harbin Ice and Snow World, and a camping area for visitors.

The festival is expected to play an important role in promoting Harbin’s beer industry, as well as boosting local summer tourism.

Harbin was the first Chinese city to focus on brewing beer, and it boasts a beer culture dating back more than 100 years. It also ranks among the cities with the highest beer consumption per capita in the world.