Ice world looks ahead to next year's preparations

Harbin Ice and Snow World, one of the most popular scenic spots in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, has already started its annual task of selecting and storing a batch of high-quality ice blocks for next year's event.

On the frozen Songhua River, which runs through Harbin, workers located a place near the riverbank where the ice is over 40 centimeters thick. Then the crew used a chain saw to cut blocks to the required size.

According to the carving rules, each block of ice is about 90 cm wide, 40 cm thick and 180 cm long.