Today in Heilongjiang, the capital, Harbin, hosts the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, where the delicately-crafted ice lanterns are a major highlight.

BBC: The origins of ice sculpting

The festival located at the Old Train Station Plaza in David Remez Square, about a mile southwest of the Old City is essentially a smaller version of the spectacular Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, which has been bringing visitors to the north of China for 27 years.

BBC: A holy city made of ice

Launched in 1963, Harbin's festival is now ranked as one of the four largest ice and snow carnivals in the world and attracts close on a million visitors.

BBC: Chill out in China: Harbin��s Ice and Snow Festival