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Harbin Ice Festival

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Skyscraper made from ice
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Skyscraper made from ice

Harbin ice festival yesterday early evening, in frigid temperatures (~-32oC)

All the buildings are make of blocks of ice from the local river. The structures are huge and beautifully lit at twilight with a myriad of coloured lights

HarbinChinaice festivalbuilding made of icecoloured lightsearly evening

  • Skyscraper made from ice
  • Entrance to the Ice Festival at sunset, Harbin, China
  • Frozen candied fruit stand, Ice Festival, Harbin, China
  • Horse drawn carts waiting for customers at the ice festival
  • Harbin ice festival at sunset, Harbin, China
  • Setting sun, Ice Festival, Harbin, China<br />
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You can see that the sun is quite dim (lower center), due to the air pollution.
  • Ice slides at the Ice Festival, Harbin, China<br />
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A number of the ice structures have ice slides, which seems to be a popular activity.
  • Ice structure at the Harbin Ice Festival<br />
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Looking forward to your alphabet day photos, but since I've posted all of mine, I am doing something different.  However I am saving an extra alphabet post for 'Z' day.<br />
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The Harbin Snow and Ice Festival began in 1963, but was interrupted for several years during the Cultural Revolution.  It began again in 1985.  It is currently the largest in the world.<br />
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This photo was taken after sunset when they started to turn on the lights embedded in the ice.  To get the best photos, it is ideal to go around sunset when the gates first open to avoid the late night crowds.  This way you can gradually find good photo spots for when the coloured lights come on, and also get some good light at sunset and some of the special cobalt light in the sky after the sun sets (and also moon rise).  The photos I've posted today set the scene and show the late day photos, and as this series continues, the sky will get darker and the colours more brilliant....and it gets colder.  It was well below freezing when we arrived and by the time we left it was -33C.  The challenge was to deal with the tripod shots in the cold and to get good exposures in the ever changing light.  At least the air pollution was only moderate.<br />
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Other photos can be seen here: <a href="http://goo.gl/mfWhck">http://goo.gl/mfWhck</a><br />
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1/06/14  <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Ice skyscraper with an ice frame<br />
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As it began to get darker and the light came on in the various ice structures, the whole park turned into a fairy land.<br />
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A few more photos in the series, as it got darker  and more colourful, can be seen here: <a href="http://goo.gl/khBCiq">http://goo.gl/khBCiq</a><br />
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2/06/14  <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Ice temple at sunset, Harbin Ice Festival
  • Ice palace at dusk, Harbin Ice Festival
  • Ice pagoda with multi-coloured lights, Harbin Ice Festival
  • Multi-coloured ice buildings at -33C, Harbin Ice FestivalSk
  • Sky scraper with a myriad of lights, Harbin Ice Festival
  • Ice cathedral at dusk, Harbin Ice Festival
  • Chinese ice pagoda seen through an ice arch, Harbin Ice Festival,China
  • Multi-coloured lights on an ice building, Harbin Ice Festival,China
  • Chinese ice temple lit up at night, Harbin Ice Festival,China
  • Ice skyscrapted in shades of blue,Harbin Ice Festival,China
  • Colourful ice city, Harbin Ice Festival,China
  • Greg&Rose Photography

    on September 3, 2018

    Wow amazing

  • Lgood

    on December 9, 2017

    Gotta love this!

  • KDP450

    on December 8, 2017

    Great!

  • Donna McCommon

    on December 8, 2017

    Awesome!

  • Terry Allen

    on December 8, 2017

    Thanks of BIRDS-WILDLIFE-AUSTRALIA for relaunching this image from my gallery and thanks for your comments!

  • Franks-Focus

    on December 8, 2017

    Wow -- beautiful display & well captured.

  • arctangent

    on December 8, 2017

    Oh, geez! That definitely falls into the category of something you have to see to believe. The technical aspects of achieving such a creation are mind-boggling.

  • BIRDS-WILDLIFE-AUSTRALIA

    on December 8, 2017

    An extraordinary creation and illusion !! Wow, it truly is a spectacle !! Very nicely shot image !

  • fotoeffects

    on November 28, 2017

    Amazing!

  • Arnold Dubin

    on November 28, 2017

    Awesome photo of the Harbin ice festival.

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