Stunning Ice Castles Dazzle Visitors at the 2013 Harbin Ice Festival in China

The 2013 <a href="http://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p30-harbin-international-ice-and-snow-sculpture-festival.html" target="_blank">Harbin Ice Festival</a> in China just kicked off with an incredible array of towering buildings made entirely from ice! Located on Sun Island in Harbin, the festival opened to visitors this month with hundreds of sculptures and structures made from the plentiful ice and snow that blankets the region. Read on for a look at the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/ice-castle/">colossal ice structures</a> that have popped up in Zhaolin Park near the Songhua River.

Decorated using traditional lanterns and modern lasers, the buildings at the <a href="http://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p30-harbin-international-ice-and-snow-sculpture-festival.html" target="_blank">Harbin Ice Festival</a> change every year - and the 2013 festival features a fantastic array of projects.

The festival takes place in the Northeast of China, where average temperatures reach -16 degrees Celsius in winter.

The festival was founded in 1963 and it has become an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/harbin%E2%80%99s-luminous-ice-and-snow-festival-features-unbelievable-structures-made-of-frozen-water/" target="_blank">annual tradition</a> in the region that is celebrated as one of the best snow and ice festivals in the world.

The 2013 Harbin Ice Festival opened on January 5th to a fantastic reception of visitors who stood in awe of the monumental ice and snow sculptures.

The festival will remain open through February, and it is expected to attract thousands of national and international tourists over the course of the country's new year celebrations.

<big><a href="http://www.icefestivalharbin.com/article-p30-harbin-international-ice-and-snow-sculpture-festival.html" target="_blank">+ Harbin Ice Festival</a></big>