Harbin Ice and Snow World prepares for winter opening

After being preserved for over 10 months, ice blocks began to be transported on Tuesday to the construction of the Harbin Ice and Snow World, one of the most popular scenic spots in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

An incredible 200,000 cubic meters of ice blocks were selected and stored in January, the city's coldest month, which may help the park open for tourists earlier this winter season.

On the frozen Songhua River, which runs through Harbin, workers located a place near the riverbank where the ice was over 60 centimeters thick. Then, a crew used a chain saw to cut blocks to the required size.

Ice blocks are collected from the river because artificial ice often contains air bubbles and is not strong enough to carve.

A combination of traditional ice storage and modern multilayer insulation technology provided suitable storage conditions for the ice blocks — low temperature, light avoidance, insulation and sealing — ensuring the ice wouldn't melt even when temperatures exceeded 30 C during the peak of summer.

The park, which combines ice, snow, sound and lights, will be expanded from 810,000 to 1 million square meters when it welcomes its 26th consecutive year of operation this winter.

It is expected to open to the public in mid-December.