When the cold winter comes with falling snowflakes, the most brilliant pearl on the crown of ice and snow, Harbin, welcomes the season of having fun on ice and snow. On the banks of the Songhua River, the annual ice collecting festival will once again kick off winter tourism in Harbin.

On December 7th, at the beach tribe on the west side of the Songhua River Highway Bridge, the 5th Harbin Ice Collecting Festival with the theme of "Collecting First Ice, Celebrating the Asian Winter Games" is about to make its brilliant appearance, delivering the purest ice blocks for the construction of the Harbin Ice and Snow World and contributing "ice" strength to the construction of this dreamy ice and snow park.

This year's Ice Collecting Festival will integrate more elements of ice and snow culture, cultural customs, and visitor interaction based on traditional ice collecting mode, in order to realize the inheritance and innovation of ice and snow culture, and present a highly regional ice collecting grand ceremony.

The entire Ice Collecting Festival activity consists of windward flags, heavenly drums, prayer words, expedition wine, first ice-collecting, blessing and other events. After the ceremony, there are also mass gatherings, lucky first day ice, boiling frozen dumplings in a big pot, stewing river fish in river water, ice and snow fun, ice and snow markets and other activities, transforming the ice and snow charm in the extreme cold into a hot and steamy northern scenery.

After the Ice Collecting Festival, fresh ice from the Songhua River will be sent to the park for the construction of the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World.