Go, experience the ice and snow culture in the Ice City.

"Ice and Snow Share One Dream, Asia Shares One Heart." The Asian Winter Games officially usher in the "Harbin Moment." At the main venue, the Harbin International Convention, Exhibition and Sports Center, the opening ceremony's cultural performances vividly narrate the spiritual power and dreamy sentiments of ice and snow culture, showcasing the passionate speed and widespread enthusiasm for winter sports. At the secondary venue, the Harbin Ice and Snow World, ice and snow concerts and acrobatic performances offer a rich and diverse cultural feast. On Central Street, people eagerly take photos with the Asian Winter Games mascots, "Binbin" and "Nini." In the Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Expo, "Snowy Spring" and "The Return of the Monkey King" become the main attractions. In neighborhood parks, people play on the ice, spinning tops and sliding around... Throughout winter in Harbin, "Chinese culture and ice-snow elements shine in harmony" can be seen everywhere.

Harbin is renowned as the "Ice City." Ice and snow have shaped its unique natural landscapes and fostered a distinctive ice and snow culture, carrying the historical memories of the city. In 1963, the first Ice Lantern Garden Party was held in Zhaolin Park, marking the official rise of Harbin's modern ice and snow culture. In the hearts of Harbin residents, only after seeing the ice lanterns in Zhaolin Park does the winter feel "right" and full of warmth. "I come here every year to admire the ice lanterns—it's a tradition," a local proudly shared, highlighting the unique charm of Zhaolin Park.

Entering the Ice and Snow World on the north bank of the Songhua River is like stepping into a fairy tale kingdom of ice and snow. The main tower, "Asian Unity," composed of giant ice pillars, glows with radiant colors. The large ice sculpture "Chinese Temple of Heaven" stands majestically in its icy form. Newly created Spring Festival-themed ice and snow landscapes such as "Auspicious Year of the Snake" and "Fuwa" are displayed, resembling a beautiful ice and snow scroll of Chinese culture, showcasing the diverse, profound, and timeless beauty of national style.

At the Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Expo, numerous competitions and artistic snow sculptures bear witness to a romantic encounter between humans and snow, art and nature, tradition and modernity. The main sculpture, "Snow's Splendid Spring," draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese motif of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, combining elements of the Chinese phoenix, flocks of birds, and plum blossoms to convey a message of unity and harmony, symbolizing resilience and beauty. Additionally, a series of exquisitely crafted snow sculptures such as "Eight Horses Treading on Snow" and "Blue and White Porcelain" welcome guests from all directions to the Asian Winter Games with a strong Chinese cultural flair.

Culture can be appreciated in quiet contemplation or experienced through dynamic engagement. At the Ice and Snow World, visitors revel in the charm of ice and snow culture—feeling the thrill of speed on the super ice slides, enjoying the joy of exploration in the giant snowflake ice maze, and unlocking unique sporting pleasures on ice bikes. During the Spring Festival Golden Week, the Ice and Snow World welcomed over a million visitors, with a single-day record of more than 10,000 entries on the fourth day of the lunar new year, marking a historic high for daily attendance.

On [date], the 9th Asian Winter Games opened in Harbin under the theme "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia," bringing together a grand celebration of winter sports and ice-snow culture in the "Ice City." The photo shows tourists visiting the Harbin Ice and Snow World (taken on [date], drone photo). Photo by Zhang Tao, Xinhua News Agency. *Note: Please replace [date] with the specific date mentioned in the original text, as it was not provided in the source material.

In the spirit of diversity, integration, and inclusiveness, Harbin's ice and snow culture has grown increasingly rich and refined, evolving through innovation.

You see, technology and creativity join hands to present snow and ice culture in a more diverse and multifaceted way. The "One Snow, One World" immersive digital culture and art gallery combines immersive projection, naked-eye viewing, ultra-high-definition holographic theater, and human-machine interaction devices to infuse snow and ice culture with a strong sense of technological flair. Simply by wearing a pair of virtual reality glasses, visitors can experience the world's first snow-and-ice-themed cultural tourism metaverse product, "Ice Dragon's Quest for the Pearl," and immerse themselves in the charm of Eastern mythology. Meanwhile, various snow-and-ice-themed fashion shows, concerts, and other cross-disciplinary activities make traditional snow and ice culture appear younger, more fashionable, dynamic, and cool.

"Ice and snow are as valuable as gold and silver." The culture of ice and snow not only carries forward historical traditions but also serves as a new driver for economic growth.

Harbin continues to extend its ice and snow economy industrial chain, striving to advance in areas such as ice and snow tourism, ice and snow equipment manufacturing, and ice and snow cultural creativity. During the snow season, Harbin welcomed millions of tourists, a year-on-year increase of %, generating tourism revenue of billion yuan, up % from the previous year. During the Spring Festival Golden Week, the city received a total of . million visitors, with total tourism spending reaching . billion yuan, turning "white snow into silver" in reality. "We are focused on refining and strengthening distinctive cultural tourism, making every effort to promote the high-quality development of ice and snow tourism, ensuring that the 'Harbin craze' continues to captivate," said an official from the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

To sustain the "Harbin Heat," building a complete industrial chain for the ice and snow economy is key.

Harbin has strengthened cooperation with domestic and foreign universities and research institutions to jointly advance the research and development of ice and snow equipment technology, enhancing its technological sophistication and quality. A number of competitive ice and snow equipment manufacturing enterprises have emerged, with some branded products selling well both at home and abroad. Ice and snow cultural and creative products, such as ice and snow performances, animations, and films, have risen and flourished by leveraging this momentum.

Today, in Harbin, ice and snow culture and the ice and snow economy are becoming new drivers of high-quality development and new bonds for opening up to the outside world.