Icy days and nights

Today is the opening day of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Harbin, China. The festival lasts for one month, and features large ice and snow sculptures, ice lanterns, swimming in the icy Songhua River and more. The northern hemisphere is a hospitable place for ice festivals these days, so in that spirit, here is a collection of recent photographs of all things frozen, and some of the ways we live and play with ice. (34 photos total)

People visit an ice sculpture for the 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province December 23, 2008. The 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will kicked off on January 5, 2009. Picture taken December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li)

Fishermen drill a hole through the two-foot-thick ice to put their net into the frozen Chagan Lake on December 24, 2008 in Songyuan, Jilin Province, China. Chagan Lake is one of the ten biggest fresh water lakes in China and winter fishing on the lake has a history of over 2,000 years. The local authorities organize the old tradition aimed to attract a lot of tourists and make the lake a popular tourist destination in winter. (Guang Niu/Getty Images) #

Chinese visitors get a preview of the 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province on December 24, 2008. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images) #

A swan attempts to land on a frozen lake near Castleford northern England Monday Jan. 5, 2009. Freezing temperatures and snow have struck large areas of Britain. (AP Photo/ John Giles/PA) #

Chinese visitors get a preview of the 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, China on December 24, 2008. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images) #

Skaters compete on a track of ice created from grassland sprayed with water, in the northern Dutch province of Frieslands on December 29, 2008. (ROBIN UTRECHT/AFP/Getty Images) #

Visitors attend the opening of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival held in Harbin, China on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) #

After being pronounced husband and wife, Michael and Sigret Cook, center, exit the ice chapel built for their wedding on Christmas Day Thursday afternoon, Dec. 25, 2008 in Fairbanks, Alaska. (AP Photo/Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Johnny Wagner) #

Visitors attend the opening of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) #

Italy's Armin Zoeggeler races down the ice track during his first run of the men's single Luge World Cup in the Bavarian resort of Schoenau am Koenigssee, January 4, 2009. (REUTERS/Alexandra Beier) #

A visitor takes a close look at a lit tree during the opening of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival held in Harbin, China on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) #

A child pushes a sled over a frozen pond at the English Garden park in Munich, southern Germany, on January 4, 2009. (OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ice Sculpture by Donald Chapelle titled "Mangrove", on the Boston Common for First Night celebration on December 31st, 2008. (Boston Globe) #

A chain link fence and the trees behind it are covered with a thick coat of ice in the aftermath of an ice storm along a highway in Boylston, Massachusetts, Friday morning, Dec. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) #

A visitor takes a picture as he walks through an illuminated "ice palace" in Schwarzsee about 50 kilometres (31 miles) west of Bern, Switzerland on January 3, 2009. (REUTERS/Pascal Lauener) #

The Marken lighthouse in northern Holland is seen surrounded by ice sheets, caused by the recent cold weather, on January 2, 2009. (OLAF KRAAK/AFP/Getty Images) #

A man swims in a frozen swimming pool in Changzhi, Shanxi province, China on January 3, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #

Visitors slide on tracks at an ice sculpture during a preview for the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, China on December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

Avery Thomas and Dave Dishneau work to secure straps from a crane hook to a submerged utility truck Monday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2008, on the Chena River in Fairbanks, Alaska. The vehicle's multiple occupants escaped unharmed after breaking through thin ice near Pike's Landing the previous night. (AP Photo/Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Johnny Wagner) #

People visit an ice sculpture for the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, China on December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

Trees bent by the weight of ice from a winter storm line railroad tracks in Hinsdale, Massachusetts, Friday, Dec. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/The Berkshire Eagle, Ben Garver) #

People visit a castle constructed of ice prior to the 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, China on December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

A member of the "Optimalist" heath club hacks a hole into the ice covering a canal near the village of Viazynka, Belarus on December 28, 2008. The club promotes a healthy way of living, encouraging its members to spend most of their free time in the countryside. (REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko) #

A giant Santa Claus ice sculpture, created for thefor the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China. Photo taken on December 24, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

People visit ice sculptures for the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China on December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

People skate on frozen canal in the Kinderdijk's Mill Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Saturday Jan. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) #

Chinese visitors get a preview of the 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, northeast China on December 24, 2008. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ice forms on a crabapple tree following an ice storm in Antrim, New Hampshire, Friday, Dec. 12, 2008.(AP Photo/Jim Cole) #

People visit ice sculptures for the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, China on December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

A Chinese couple enjoys time together as they ride on a specially made ice-chair on a frozen lake in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) #

A snow sculpture takes shape at the Snow Festival in Harbin, China, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) #

Nam Nguyen climbs an ice-encrusted ladder out of Lake Minnetonka during the 19th annual On it and In It Lake Minnetonka Ice Dive in Excelsior, Minnesota, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009. With morning temperatures in the teens, event organizers said more than 900 people plunged into the 31-degree waters to greet the new year. (AP Photo/St. Paul Pioneer Press, Richard Marshall) #

Ice sculptor Don Chapelle, of Brilliant Ice Sculpture, puts the finishing touches on an ice sculpture called Pipeline, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008 at the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole) #

Visitors take souvenirs photos in front of an ice sculpture for the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province December 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Sheng Li) #

More links and information

Harbin-Ice.net - Official site (Chinese)

Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival - Wikipedia Entry

Harbin, China - Google Map

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I visited the Harbin Ice Festival a couple of days ago... absolutely magic.

The photos in this piece are truly amazing - brilliant work!!

Posted by Damien January 7, 09 03:56 AM

it toooo good

Posted by Jiya January 7, 09 04:12 AM

nicely collated ...... good job.

Posted by talluri January 7, 09 04:14 AM

c'est absolument magnifique ! bravo aux photographes, et bien sur aux r�alisateurs !!!

Posted by Dominique Carabin January 7, 09 05:00 AM

nice view

Posted by roberts January 7, 09 05:07 AM

Great pictures!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Trixie January 7, 09 06:45 AM

@ Jon Kovac.
You must be an American. Only in America will you find the archaic sense of modesty. Here in Germany you will find people swimming at lakes in the spring time completely without clothing and nobody looks twice. It is not uncommon to see men and women alike on their balconies nude. Most of the world doesn't find problems with images of nudity, especially tasteful pics like #23. To ask the whole world to conform to your personal views is simply not acceptable.

And to Alan, exquisite photos, very nice work! Well done, sir!

Posted by Thomas January 7, 09 07:42 AM

To Jon Kovac in #20 -- would you shield your children from looking at a beautiful sculpture by one of the world's great artists that reveals the true beauty of a man's rear-end? Why don't museums have to cover these sculptures up?

This is art in it's truest form, and if the nanny state we all live in wasn't so acutely aware of the audacity of nakedness, our children might not be so easily offended...

Posted by Appreciative of True Art January 7, 09 08:36 AM

#23 Is a great picture, I agree with everyone else, but the situation is not all that extraordinary. Here in Finland people make holes in the ice and go dipping in them straight from the 100 C sauna (that's 212 F for all you unit-challenged). Sometimes these holes are pool-sized and people swim laps in them. Actually, I've heard there are clubs in Canada and the US that do this too.

The man in the picture probably did not make the hole in one sitting as shown, he's just making it larger or breaking the new, thin ice that's formed after the hole has been made.

Ice swimming is great fun and you should try it if you get the chance! Check out an article about it on Wikipedia.

Posted by Visa January 7, 09 09:21 AM

@ Comment # 20
Please stop being such an American, by saying that picture #23 has to be pixelated waist down because of children watching. What the heck is provoking and dirty about that picture. Full frontal nudity, I can agree on, but this?

Only because of this AFRAID OF NUDITY thing, I wouldn't move to the USA (among 1000 other things..)

On topic: beautiful pictures, only too much of China... Nature pictures would have been better.

Posted by Fedor January 7, 09 09:39 AM

I like the giant ice sculpture # 25. It's really big and pretty. I like it a lot.

Posted by Julien Ray (7 year old) January 7, 09 10:40 AM

#23 is the best. Why all the drama, people? It's just nature in nature. No reason to shelter anyone from anything. Great pics!

Posted by WDKS January 7, 09 12:02 PM

#23 #23 #23 #23!!! Yeah!! Oh come on people..it's a BUTT! WHOOO HOO!!! There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. If it was a little baby's butt.. everyone would be OH.. HOW CUTE! Or better yet.. it if was some hot chick... it would be "artistic" and I don't think everyone would be protesting as much!!
Well #23 is GREAT. It shows the beauty of growing old and being healthy... and fit... and still kicking a&&! We should not shy our children away from seeing this... but inspire them to live their life so that some day they'll be that awesome!!! :) Heck it should inspire everyone to live a little healthier and fit!!

Posted by Kittyfoofoo January 7, 09 12:11 PM

re. comment #43 (right on) in reference to pic # 32, which is kinda ironic; if the water's 31 degrees, it's ice. Even though water freezes at 32 degrees it can still be in a liquid state. It has to go through a transformation refered to as enthalpy in the refrigeration industry, to change from a liquid to a solid.

Posted by birddog January 7, 09 12:57 PM

I AM SPECHLESS

Posted by JAN January 7, 09 01:42 PM

If God had intended for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way.

:-)

My kids thought it was funny.

Posted by Michael Z. Williamson January 7, 09 02:14 PM

quote- Hehe, all the images taken in the Netherlands (Holland) have a "6" in them (6, 16, 26). Is this on purpose, or what? -unquote
666 the number of the beast
nice pictures and very happy that there is a lot of good skating ice over here in Holland right now!

Posted by Joeri January 7, 09 02:19 PM

Hello, my name is "the upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China"

Posted by redundant ryan January 7, 09 03:11 PM

all the pictures are wonderful, even the old, naked man, whom of your ,young,
`macho� man does the same? It is very easy to criticize other people1

Posted by Ineke Rasmussen January 7, 09 03:20 PM

Great pics, but I think there's a few too many of the "upcoming 25th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China". One or two would have sufficed!

lol @ comment 126.

Posted by Daniel January 7, 09 09:34 PM

#23 bad naked

Posted by Berni January 7, 09 09:53 PM

Wow

Posted by ~ WildPony ~ Of Myspace January 8, 09 12:16 AM

Its very nice... and.. Ice sculptures in Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin is Mind blowinggggggggggggg

Posted by Sowmya January 8, 09 02:32 AM

#23 looks like bill o'reilly

Posted by Timo January 8, 09 03:08 AM

very good

Posted by f January 8, 09 03:12 AM

My take on the infamous #23.

It is not the actual picture itself that I find disturbing or wrong in any sense. It is the callous feeling that the world has at nudity that is the problem. Because we are so callous to nudity, we have ruined the world we live in with a rise in teen pregnancies, sex crimes, prostitutes, etc. I appreciate the general uproar that this picture has caused because it shows that some people do still feel against nudity in general. I find nothing wrong with the picture. What I do find wrong are those who commented on the fact that there is nothing wrong with nudity, and that if that had been a woman, there wouldn't be such an outrage at the picture. Some of the reaction against the picture is a little strong though. As my friend told me one time "If you haven't seen one, you apparently haven't got one"

Posted by Anonymous January 8, 09 08:54 AM

Absolutely amazing photos! #21 certainly shows the beauty versus the devastation of the terrible ice storm in New England. And those that dont like #23-well I have to keep my remarks to myself

Posted by tkat January 8, 09 09:10 AM

it is a very fin foto
i am so glad see it

Posted by finn �renlund January 8, 09 09:21 AM

Sculputures made of snow are amazing...

Posted by Deepthi January 8, 09 11:36 AM

Wow. It's always impressive to see. I want to go there some day.

Posted by Cindy Kong January 8, 09 01:09 PM

I also went there last 2 years.
It's very nice and amazing ice / snow sculpture!!

Posted by lindo January 9, 09 02:51 AM

Cool pics as usual and a comical note today brought by the controversy on #23.

I like #2 for the action capture and #21 for its beauty.

Posted by Elisabeth January 9, 09 06:19 AM

Beautiful and great pictures, thanks for sharing!

I honestly find it hard to understand if some people find #23 offending or want it "masked" in any way... you don't even se the guy in front but from the side, so what's there to be offended about or even disgusted, I just can't figure out, it's a fun and great picture.

Best wishes and thanks again ;)

Posted by Xanadou January 9, 09 07:00 AM

Naked guy hacking ice with an axe was a weird one. Otherwise, great set! I feel the need to warm up next to my fireplace now.

Posted by JamieD January 9, 09 07:26 AM

All the photos are great. My favorites are #21 and #23.I had to do a double take on #23. The photo is most excellent and the human body is something Yah created not man. So congrats to him first and the gentleman for maintaining!

Posted by Anonymous January 9, 09 08:39 AM

Wow, cool............

Posted by Anonymous January 9, 09 09:21 AM

#23 Is awesome. Naked russian old geezer with a huge axe in a frozen river.

Epic.

Posted by Pierre January 9, 09 02:03 PM

Awesome Pictures!!! I love coming to this site and viewing the amazing pictures and the amazing detail each picture has. What's wrong with the naked man?
The old guy is in pretty good shape if you ask me. Also if you read what it says it says he's part of the Optimalist" heath club......he can probably beat the crap out of most of us. Also a lot of health clubs in Europe/Eastern Europe/Asia have nude steam rooms/baths, etc. Even sauna's in the U.S. are pretty much nude. People really need to start enjoying life and stop with the conservativeness.

Posted by Mac January 9, 09 04:50 PM

Amazing pictures - Thanks for God by nature.
I enjoy these kind of pictures and I'd give thanks to people send it.

very, very cool.

Posted by ROGERIO - BRAZIL January 9, 09 06:35 PM

I live in Fairbanks. The ice sculptures are always fun, including the igloos and ice buildings.
About the truck in the river - every year we get some there - it's an ice bridge.... entertains the diners at Pike's Landing.

Posted by mellowmoose January 9, 09 08:04 PM

ALL THE PICTURES WERE GREAT. ESPICALLY THE OLD FELLOW IN THE LAKE CHOPING ICE. HE IS QUITE THE CHARACTER AND I GIVE HIM A HELL YEAH FOR HIS COLD BRAVERY. HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE WOULD DO THAT IN THE FREEZING WEATHER?

Posted by LORI January 9, 09 09:03 PM

Number 4 is very wonderful
Thanks

Posted by Maryam January 10, 09 12:00 AM

NO.30 is very interesting. I hope I can experience it with my love:)

Posted by nooshin January 10, 09 03:33 AM

lovely..............amazing photos. I get used to BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Posted by Maine girl January 10, 09 06:13 AM

Awesome, amazing photos. Those words don't even seem to be enough to express the beauty and creativity of the photographers eye and of the out of this world creativity of the ice sculptures.
Simply majestic to see the photos and to all those that got to experience viewing in real life will hold memories to come for the ages.

Posted by Betty January 10, 09 06:49 AM

Amazing!!!!! So beautiful. I wish I could see it in person some day. The people that go in the water are insane!

Posted by Lynne January 10, 09 08:27 AM

All I gotta say about #23 is: I hope I look half that good when I'm that age.

Posted by Matt January 10, 09 01:23 PM

The only thing wrong with #23 is that it made me feel like a wimp! I used to think myself a hardy Chicagoan, but now I feel such a lightweight when it comes to the cold.

Posted by Ann January 10, 09 02:13 PM

that pictures are so wonderful i cant belevie what they done

Posted by Albert January 10, 09 07:20 PM

These pictures are so beautifully photographed, thank you for sharing them with us.

Posted by Michelle January 10, 09 08:22 PM

extrodinarily Beautiful-Lots of work/time

Posted by Judy Walter January 11, 09 10:48 AM

23!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Anonymous January 11, 09 11:02 AM

Want to try something cool? Place the tip of your finger over the man's head in photo 23. Now decide who that superb body belongs to. A triathlete? Body Building Contestant? 65+ year old man? We can only look at him in awe and rue.
Thanks Micky D and a bad diet and lifestyle. Many of use will have had our heart attacks by that time.

Posted by lost in america January 11, 09 03:21 PM

#21, remind of my home town Jilin China, there Songhua river instead of railway

Posted by Zhang Jacobs January 11, 09 10:39 PM

Hi :
This is neeru , i was in Harbin China -2001 dec during this time the Temp goes upto -( Minus ) 40 Deg when i was there it was - 20 Deg , its really nice to be there Specially in this Month i've visited the Harbin Ice Festival its Amazing can't Believe Puruely Based on Art and Culture .

Posted by Neeru January 12, 09 07:13 AM

Love #16. The broken ice looks like a fantasy scene.

Posted by Simon January 12, 09 12:12 PM

#80, Mr. "do some research" - "Water can be below 32 degrees F and still be liquid. Salt water in particular freezes at zero degrees F"

The freezing point is a function of the amount of salt in the water, so yes, one can tailor a concoction of salt and water that would have a freezing point of 0 F.

But there's no validity in saying, generically, "salt water freezes at 0 F"

Typical ocean sea water freezes at about 29 F. One would have to have water approximately 10 times saltier than ocean water for it to freeze at 0 F.

Posted by The irony is palpable January 12, 09 02:54 PM

JUST GOT BACK FROM THE HARBIN SNOW AND ICE FESTIVAL>
I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT i'VE SEEN
IT WAS SURREAL. COULDN'T STAY TOO LONG THOUGH. EXTREME COLD

Posted by EILEEN GREANEY January 12, 09 06:18 PM

AWESOME, AMAZING PHOTOS. THANKS FOR THE SHARING.

Posted by FAYE SIMPSON January 12, 09 10:00 PM

These are all MASTERPIECES!!
You should be very, very proud of your work!!

Posted by Cookie January 12, 09 11:06 PM

Wow, awesome photos!! I took the liberty of reposting these to the travel forum of ChinaTravel.net.
http://www.chinatravel.net/forum/Harbin-Awesome-Harbin-Ice-and-Snow-Festival-Photos-2009/1636.html
Hope this is ok!

Posted by Rebekah January 13, 09 01:52 AM

Great pics ! Although I am not a fan of winter !!
Well don't want to keep out of the NOW FAMOUS # 23 !!
Simple question to those who are in favor of the pic,
If it was you and your butt that got pictured and posted on the internet like that;
would you like it ?!

Posted by Human January 13, 09 05:42 AM

#23 great pics

Posted by nobody January 13, 09 09:29 AM

These photos of the Ice Festival are so amazing.. I sent the link to all my friends.. and all the responses were.. OMG...so awsum.. cool... and WOW!!!
I love looking at them again and again.. now my daughter wants to visit China.. me too.. !!!
Fantastic job on the photo's and thanks for sharing.. :)

Posted by cheryl January 13, 09 08:09 PM

Amazing Pics.

Posted by Homeira January 14, 09 03:02 AM

@170
you are not human, you are too dumb to be consider like one.

Posted by Gligorio January 14, 09 07:09 AM

I like the crabapple in ice pictures the most !!!!

PETRA.

Posted by Petra Kilian-Gehring January 14, 09 09:14 PM

Fantastic pictures, so many, so recent.

Posted by Chuck Murdoch January 14, 09 09:50 PM

#23 is very interesting. Look at the musculature of a man of obvious age. I dare say he is quite robust and hearty. The thought of standing in that water is beyond my stamina. A sincerely artistic photograph, well balanced and in tune with nature. How could anyone object to it? The human body is remarkable and set in this inhospitable scene it shows how closely we are related to our surroundings. Well done.

Posted by J. Moore January 14, 09 10:21 PM

WOW THIS IS ABSOLUTELY SO AMAZING! I EVEN SAVED THIS FILE SO I CAN USE THE PICTURES FOR MY SCREEN SAVERS.. ALOT OF WONDERFUL PICTURES (EXCEPT FOR THAT NAKED OLD MAN!) IM NOT GONNA USE HIM CUZ I DONT EVEN KNOW WHO THIS OLD GUY IS ANYWAY HEHEHEHE! WINTER HERE IN MICHIGAN HAS BEEN SO COLDER THAN IT USUALLY IS THIS YEAR AND GETTING MORE SNOW..I KNOW IT IS DUE TO THE HURRICANE SEASONS WE HAVE HAD SO, COULD BE A POSSIBLE OF WINTER CHANGEING...GREETINGS FROM ROSEVILLE,MICHIGAN!

Posted by GARY GOUGEON January 15, 09 04:58 AM

Global Warming????

Posted by Bill January 15, 09 11:08 PM

Yeah Bill (above) just what I was thinking.

and whats going on with #23? is the problem with this guys crack at the ice?
where are the pixels? I'm pretty sure you don't need pixels to hide anything in that kind of weather.

Posted by Solange January 16, 09 03:54 PM

salam ,, bebin jalebe

Posted by s f January 17, 09 07:51 AM

THIS IS WAY COOL SEND ME MORE

Posted by ANNA January 21, 09 05:02 PM

" COOL"

Posted by Merlin C. Anderson January 22, 09 10:59 AM

Beautiful, great picture wow....

Posted by Bill Carson Jr January 22, 09 04:08 PM

Beautiful, great picture wow....

Posted by Bill Carson Jr January 22, 09 04:09 PM

crabapples? that awfully looks like cherries to me (i know it's not)... and i love those but they are never around in winter time here... anyway, i set it as my background :)
sculptures look like they take a lot of design, artistic talent and hard labor! love em!
thank you!

Posted by Tatiana January 22, 09 04:18 PM

Unbelievable photos.....How creative and artistic people can be in this world-especially the photographers /posters who share these with all of us. Thanks for making my day with these great photos!

Posted by Marcia Peterson January 22, 09 09:21 PM

@170 - Well if I wandered around naked in public and was brave (or stupid) enough to go swiming in icy pools I don't think I would really care o that my picture got posted on the internet.

And for those of you that didn't checkout #9 link to http://www.skyandsummit.com/Glacegeneve/index.html give it a go - there are some great pictures in there too!

Posted by russ January 22, 09 10:16 PM

Amazing!

Posted by Vera January 23, 09 09:40 AM

I am a US citizen and I do not understand why people are so offended by nudity especially if it is in good taste. The gentleman in #23 is in great shape, look at his body! Why do so many people look at art and close their eyes to beauty? Do you not look at Roman art. Open up your mind. I also loved #14,21,26& 28. There is beauty in all seasons if we choose to look through open eyes. I loved #21 not only because of the snow but of the one evergreen tree. Next time you curse snow go out and look close at the beauty that has fallen and look at a snowflake it is a sight worth taking in while your eyesight is good enough and view our higher powers gift to us.

Posted by Deborah G. Halberstadt January 23, 09 10:07 AM

quite well

Posted by maggie January 24, 09 10:48 PM

nice!!

Posted by amir January 25, 09 04:40 AM

it was realy wonderful.....

Posted by shirin January 25, 09 08:16 AM

THIS IS AWESOME BUT I DONT GET WHY THEY GO NAKED IN THE WATER BUT I REALLY LIKE THE SLIDES EVEN MY BROTHER SEND ME A PICTURE OF THE CASTLE THANKS PEACE

Posted by alisa January 25, 09 10:02 AM

excellent photos

Posted by poorandokht January 25, 09 01:23 PM

i found them very charming and exraordinary pictures off snowi life

Posted by leila January 26, 09 09:39 AM

its awesome

Posted by difgjiodsj January 26, 09 02:59 PM

I know almost everyone in picture #8!!!!!! haha, I recently moved to Atlanta from Fairbanks and somehow came upon this site today, and I was like what the heck!! Thanks so much for sharing these pictures and making my day!! These were AWESOME!!!!

Posted by Christianne January 28, 09 02:24 PM

Many folks enjoy the cold, I abhore it. South Georgia!!!

Posted by Green T January 29, 09 05:27 PM

I had no idea this site existed - fantastic!

Posted by Jay Foley January 31, 09 07:14 AM

All pictures rock! Well done!

Always typical that we are bombarded with violence and destruction in movies and at TV but when we see nudity people freak out.

Posted by Tom P January 31, 09 09:21 AM

this is so cool and frozen

Posted by elise January 31, 09 10:59 AM

those were some amazing photos i only wish that i could have been there myself but to see the photos kept me warm enough

Posted by carl richards February 1, 09 10:44 AM

Absolutely fantastic photo's , no negative comment's necessary Top class . JAK.

Posted by JUDY KAY February 1, 09 12:47 PM

WOW! Fantastic pictures!!

Posted by Alan Manzie February 3, 09 10:14 AM

tis ice is the best!!!! makes me wish i was there!

Posted by heather February 4, 09 06:00 PM

We are going to the Harbin Ice & Snow Festival for the first time this weekend. So excited!!!!!!! From: Virginia USA. Living in Nantong, China for next 2 years.

Posted by Robin W. February 5, 09 12:18 AM

There are several of us planning to a trip over to Harbin in a couple of years

Posted by Mariana May 1, 09 06:04 AM