(photos courtesy of harryalverson)

Ever heard of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival?  Well, it's a remarkable event that takes place each January in northeastern China. 

The highlight each year are the ice sculptures, with many marvelous creations every year. 

The festival begins each year on January 5th, and lasts for one month. The original festival was held in 1963. Harbin is the host city, located in the Northeast of China. It's average winter temperature is a very chilly -16.8 degrees Celsius. (brrrrr!)