An aerial view of the Harbin Ice and Snow World Photo: VCG

The world's largest indoor ice and snow theme park opened in Harbin, the renowned "Ice City" in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, on Saturday, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency.  

With a construction area of 23,800 square meters, the park clinched the Guinness World Record of the World's Largest Indoor Ice and Snow Theme Park that night.

The facility features nine themed areas and 13 experience projects, showcasing lifelike ice sculptures illuminated by colorful lighting. The park maintains a constant temperature ranging from -8 C to -12 C to accommodate visitors throughout the year.

The theme park uses the world's most advanced techniques and craftsmanship in ice sculpture and snow architecture, combined with sound, light and digital technologies as well as real-time interactive technology, according to the report.

The park uses 20,000 cubic meters of ice harvested from the Songhua River for its landscape construction. 

Compared with the outdoor Harbin Ice-Snow World in winter, the indoor attraction features more colorful ice decorations, with more intricate and delicate designs. Through special techniques, these colorful ice sculptures were tinted using edible pigments, making them both vibrant and environmentally friendly. Sculptures of fruit, donuts, ice cream and cakes are particularly eye-catching.

The park will complement Harbin Ice-Snow World, a landmark outdoor ice and snow theme park covering 810,000 square meters, transforming Harbin into an all-season resort destination.

Harbin, with its cold winters, is celebrated for its annual ice and snow festival. The Harbin Ice-Snow World received an average of more than 30,000 visitors daily last winter, said the report.