The 30th Annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China

China’s 30th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival kicked off on January 5th, 2014. Nearly 10,000 people were involved in creating the breathtaking ice monuments, which include sculptures of famous buildings like the Roman Colosseum, the Empire State Building, and a 150-foot-tall reproduction of the Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavik, Iceland. The festival also features a 240-meter-long ice slide and a tribute to Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s rubber duck. Over 180,000 square meters of ice and 150,000 square meters of snow were used to create the amazing spectacle.

The Washington Post has put together a great gallery of photos from the event, and ITN News has also created a short video on the preparation leading up to the festival:

You can also head over to Slate and The Baltimore Sun to see more colorful photos of the event.