“My first year at NEFU has been a journey into an unfamiliar cold,” shared Chen Yu, a Moroccan undergraduate, while attending the Harbin Ice Harvesting Festival. “Today’s event not only introduced me to Harbin’s traditional ice harvesting culture but also let me experience the warmth of the people in Northeast China, giving me another reason to fall in love with Harbin.”

On December 7, the fourth Harbin Ice Harvesting Festival kicked off with festivities at the Songhua River. Deputy Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Han Shengjian, opened the festival. Alongside him were Zhang Qixiang, Harbin’s Deputy Secretary and Mayor, and Zhang Yuting, a Beijing Winter Olympics champion, who jointly initiated the ceremonial “first ice”. Over 40 students from Russia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and other countries from NEFU were special guests at the ceremony.

Wrapped in heavy winter wear and faces aglow with smiles, the students absorbed the spectacle. The vibrant festival scene with fluttering flags, resonating drums, and “ice harvesters” in traditional attire showcased the rich, historical ice harvesting culture of the Songhua River region. The students were instantly drawn into the celebratory spirit, especially when the ice harvesters, in traditional garb, toasted their departure. This immersion in the robust cultural traditions of Northeast China sparked a collective admiration for the harvesters’ fearless and determined spirit.

Post-ceremony, the students explored the ice and snow sports experience zone. They enthusiastically tried their hands at traditional ice activities like the “spinning ice top”, delighting in the unique pleasures of these winter sports. The cultural exchange deepened as they savored dumplings and river fish cooked in ice water, picked up phrases in the local dialect, and snapped photos with life-sized ice curling stones and intricately carved snow sculptures, all the while basking in the wintry land’s unexpected warmth.