Travel

The Extreme Sculptures of the World's Largest Ice and Snow Festival

1/93
Tourists visit illuminated ice sculptures at Harbin Ice And Snow World Park on Dec. 23, 2018, in Harbin, China. (VCG via Getty Images)

1/93
Tourists visit illuminated ice sculptures at Harbin Ice And Snow World Park on Dec. 23, 2018, in Harbin, China. (VCG via Getty Images)

The holidays might be over, but in Heilongjiang Province in northern China, the season's celebrations are just beginning. The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival kicked off on Friday, featuring huge illuminated ice castles and exquisite sculptures covering nearly 150 acres of land.

The festival runs until Feb. 5 and is a major tourist attraction, drawing more than a million visitors annually. The more than 100 attractions are made of 8 million cubic feet of ice, much of which are pulled from the nearby frozen Songhua River, CNN.com reported.

(PHOTOS: Polar Bear Plunge Images Will Make You Glad You Stayed Inside on New Year's)

Each year, the ornate sculptures and ice cathedrals take several weeks and thousands of workers to craft. During the festival, farmers brave sub-zero temperatures on the frozen river to supply raw materials and goods for the event, according to Getty Images.

Sculptors from 12 countries around the world will compete in an ice sculpture competition, a highlight of the Ice City.

Click through the slideshow above to see the extreme ice sculptures featured this year, as well as the work it takes to set up the biggest ice festival in the world.

Check This Out, Too

The Best Ways To Cure Chapped Lips

Add These 8 Foods To Your Diet For Healthy Hair, Skin, And Nails

Why Your Skin Feels Dry During Fall And What To Do About It

Watch Out For These Fall Skin Allergies

We Love Our Critters

Help Arrives For Pets, Owners After Helene

San Diego Zoo Welcomes Baby Sumatran Tiger

Flying Spaghetti Monsters, Never-Before-Seen Squid Recorded

Puppy-Palooza! Dogs Take Over Vegas Pool In Annual Tradition