【4K】Why World's Largest Ice City Became A Global Hit? (Harbin Ice Festival)

I've never been in that kind of cold places. I'm getting colder. Frozen ice and snow. But a lively city and even warmer people. And the unique culture of northeast China. This is Harbin, China's ice city. My name is Sasha and I've been living in China about four years. I'm currently a student of Shanghai University. Going to Harbin, let's go. To see how this icy city turns its winter into global heat. Let it go, let it go. Every winter the city goes all in and builds a real world made of ice and snow. It's actually so peaceful here. I don't know if through the camera you can see it, but it's incredibly huge and everything. Ice and snow world is basically a frozen version of China. They use the real ice from Songhua River to recreate iconic landmarks. From the yellow crane tower to traditional tulou houses from the south. The scale is insane. It's officially listed in Guinness World Records as the largest ice and snow park in the world. Well, I never saw such a huge snowman. Perfect indeed. Because it feels like it's not a snow, it's some kind of clay. It's like actually perfect. Do I look like him? The famous giant snowman is just one of the magnificent sculptures that race here each winter on Sun Island for the snow expo. Turns out even the locals are mistaken. News reports confirm all sculptures now use artificial snow for maximum beauty and durability. The city is buzzing with the snow and ice festival, but there is more to this place than just snow and ice. If you want to see a real Harbin, come to the market. It's minus 22 outside and people are already here at 8 a.m. eating, chatting, just hanging out. There are already plenty of tourists and the place feels really lively. And this is just the very beginning of the ice and snow season. This sticky rice cake with the hundo just only for 2 yuan. Red bean and roses, recommended. And tanghulu, this was insanely good. Crunchy on the outside, cold and juicy inside. This chobo inside, you get the texture as the ice cream, like really creamy texture because this was frozen. Right across from St. Sophia Cathedral, there is a huge winter clothes market. The scale is honestly impressive. Should I buy that one? Should I buy that one maybe? Well, this is famous Harbin clothes. You can try it out. Rolls of jackets, boots, hats, everything you need for a Harbin winter. Our cash and all of that only for 100 yuan. Prices are super low, so anyone can find something within their budget. You know, I could never imagine that I'm going to see in eastern China that much care about Russian culture. It's a Russian style town, makes you feel as you go through the crossing the border, not of geography, but on time. Look at that, it's really gorgeous. It was a small wooden church brought to Harbin in 1905 by a Russian man from Yekaterinburg. Later in 1930s, the Grand Brick Cathedral we see today appeared beside it. This road as well called as Harbin Arbat. It's the heart of Harbin. What makes it special is that the street was built more than a century ago and still works as the city's main social space. Even the bricks are unusual. They're shaped like a loaf of bread and were designed by a Russian engineer. We are in Harbin not only for traveling, but also to visit the Global Tourism Economy Forum. Here we're both representing different ethnic groups from Heilongjiang province. It's not just a show, but it's the way to tell their own stories. From traditional pepper cutting and snow painting to double-sided embroidery and even clothing made from fish skin by local river communities. We are already in the airport and it's time to say goodbye because our trip to Harbin is about to finish. But I can say that this city is full of contrasts. It's really magic and cold outside, but really warm and welcoming inside. And if you're still trying to find a sign, should you go or not, I think this is the one.