Photo: Courtesy of Harbin Ice and Snow World

Snow-making for the 27th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is underway, while the design for the first snow sculpture to welcome the Year of the Horse has been completed, a staff member of the world's largest ice and snow theme park told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Once the snow quality meets the requirements for the construction of sculptures, it will first be transported to the area outside the east ticket inspection hall, where it will be used to build the first large snow sculpture of the 27th edition of the annual festival, a piece featuring three horses titled The Fairytale Pony Family.

Cong Peiyu, director of the Design and Research & Development Department of Harbin Ice Snow World, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the pony sculpture has been designed to mark the Year of the Horse in 2026.

A total of 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow will be used to create a dreamy, fairytale-like winter wonderland for visitors at one of China's most popular winter tourist attractions. 

Artificial snowmaking is a task that combines technology and experience. 

Workers not only need to operate the machines but must also continuously monitor weather ­conditions and changes in snow quality to ensure that the snow meets construction requirements, according to a report by the park on Tuesday. 

The 27th Harbin Ice and Snow World will be expanded from the 1 million square meters of the last edition to 1.2 million, making it the largest edition since its inception in 1999. 

The number of ice sculptures and snow structures will exceed that of previous years and diverse technological elements will be incorporated to enhance interactive experiences, according to local authorities. 

A number of new facilities will be added, including new ticketing halls and a snowfield hot-spring camp. New experiences such as winter fishing, cross-country skiing, and snow football will also be introduced. 

Smart services throughout the park will also be upgraded, covering every stage of a visit to provide visitors with more attentive, efficient, and comprehensive support. An additional 5,000-square-meter air-supported dome will be added to provide visitors with a comfortable space to rest, dine, and keep warm. While the area of the park is set to be expanded, ticket prices remains the same at 328 yuan ($46) per adult. 

The official opening of the park is scheduled for around late December, a staff member at the customer service line of the park told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

During the 2024-25 season, the attraction transformed its 1 million-square-meter park into a dazzling playground for visitors from China and abroad, using 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow. Over its 68-day run, it welcomed a total of 3.56 million visitors, including a record-breaking over 100,000 visitors in a single day on ­February 1, 2025. 

As temperatures have dropped recently, the National Alpine Skiing Center in Beijing's Yanqing district has also begun making snow. 

For the 2025-26 ski season, the center will gradually open 13 professional ski trails, offering options for beginners, intermediate, and advanced skiers.