Polar bear ice sculptures are seen at the eighth National Public Snow and Ice Season in Wuhan. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

The eighth National Public Snow and Ice Season kicked off in Wuhan on Dec 19, with two sub-venues in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture and the Shennongjia region viewable via video link.

The Ice and Snow Art Festival, as an integral program of the season, debuted on Dec 21 at the Wuhan Optics Valley International Tennis Center in East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC). The festival runs through Jan 3, 2022 and is inviting local residents as well as tourists from all over the world to appreciate the beauty of ice and snow.

The festival's 1,000-square-meter ice and snow complex was designed by the Chinese ice and snow commission of the Chinese Culture Promotion Society. Many of Wuhan's best-known landmarks, including the Yellow Crane Tower and Yangtze River Bridge, as well as a series of cartoon characters have been sculpted from ice and snow.

An ice sculpture of the Yellow Crane Tower. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

The event is separated into three main sections – an snow and ice castle, a sports interaction area, and a food area.

The interior of the ice and snow castle required 400 metric tons of ice and 50 tons of snow to build. In addition, thermal insulation materials have been widely applied in the exhibition area, maintaining the temperature at -20 C. Visitors are therefore advised to wear warm clothes before entering.

Apart from the sculptures, visitors can also experience icy slides, boats, and a snow treasure hunt in the castle.

Those looking to visit the festival can order tickets on Meituan, Ctrip and other e-commerce platforms, as well as on the WeChat public account "武汉国际体育" (Wuhan International Sports).