Harbin, the Snow Sculptures

As if the Ice Festival weren't enough, just up the road lies the Snow Sculpture Park. These aren't your Michigan winter's day snow forts. The city trucks in tons and tons of snow and team compete to build these epic feats of frozen water: 

 Flowers glued onto the trees. Because, China:

 Just warming up:

 

This sculpture is meant to encapsulate China's brave mission in defending their rights in the South China Sea. Yes, folks, you're looking at political snow: 

 University teams:

 Renee trying her hand:

 

 

 Hot chocolate stop:

 

 

Health and safety:

 Ice and snow. Snow and ice:

 

 A little New Zealand touch:

 And suddenly we're in Moscow:

 

 

 With the ice pagodas:

 And the Penguins of Madagascar:

 And roman nods to antiquity:

 We ended our trip with a two-hour traffic jam and a temple:

 

 

 

Great weekend. Crazy place. I'm feeling very, very grateful that I passed up a job opportunity in Harbin years ago.