Ice,snow,baby...

As the last two posts were about our trip to Hokkaido during the National Holiday week, and the next trip to the Phillipines during Spring Festival is coming up in a couple of days, and this here is not supposed to be mainly a travel blog, it's time to actually post something about Shenyang (or at least China) again.

Last week this year's local Shenyang Ice Festival was opened - I haven't been there yet this time, but was last year in February, so here's some stuff from my photo archive. As winters are reliably long and cold in Northeast China, almost every town has its own festival, the biggest by far being the one in Harbin. (pictures from 2012)

complilation of ice towers - the guy in the front is selling "tanghulu" 糖葫芦,candy fruits on a stick.

The Shenyang Festival has basically two areas - one with (up to building-high) ice and snow sculptures:

all in one - the "大政" Dazheng government pavilion from Shenyang's Imperial palace in the front,
back right the Greek Akropolis, back left Beijing's Temple of Heaven.

and even some Great Wall to the left.

a chapel made of snow

And a bunch of other sculptures....

Additionally one can have fun with all modes of transportation imaginable (and beyond) to get ahead on and over snow and ice.

Be it....

big trikes for grownups

small trikes for the little ones

whatever that is called

bumper cars

more bumper car-tube-things

dog sleds

or even tiny tanks.

Or you could paraglide over the whole area:

And skid down a slide made of ice with your butt in a raffia basket:

Together with a gazillion kebap stalls, fun for the whole family....