Photos: 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival

People visit ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

The Harbin International Ice Festival is one of world’s four biggest ice and snow festivals, along with the famous ones in Sapporo, Norway, and Quebec. Harbin is called “Ice City”, and the winters are bitterly cold, but the conditions are right for the ice festival.

Below are some of the sculptures from the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China.

People visit a maze which was built by ice bricks and illuminated by coloured lights during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

People visit ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

A man rides a slide on an ice sculpture illuminated by coloured lights during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Workers polish a snow sculpture ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Tourists sit on a horse-drawn carriage in front of ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights, during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

People visit ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

People visit ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights during a trial operation ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)