During the 17th Harbin Ice and Snow World, crews marked square outlines on the Songhua River and cut blocks with circular saws. As each block was hauled to the bank, water flowed back through the hole beside the cut, reducing the risk of workers stepping into overflow. Crews inspected the blocks before delivery to the park. The work linked a measured grid on the river to the supply of ice used in the festival’s construction.
From the journal
From river ice to the Ice and Snow World
Harvest, inspection, construction and lighting turn blocks cut from the Songhua River into temporary architecture.
In the same city · Harbin ↗
Cut, lift and inspect
A different season, a different tower
For the 24th edition, builders stacked blocks and joined them with water in freezing air, then trimmed the surfaces with ice tools. Two editions later, the 26th edition’s main tower, “United Asia,” was topped out on 11 December 2024. The final block marked the move into detailed finishing and lighting tests. Together, these accounts show ice construction progressing from block assembly and carving to the finishing of a large illuminated structure.
