An ice lantern is a wintertime work of art widelycreated in north China. It was originally made forillumination, providing a light source for the life andwork of farmers and fishermen of north China oncold winter night. Later, the crystal-clear ice lanternsof all shapes and sizes gradually became a folk art and an ice lantern fair became a folkrecreational activity unique to the north. Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, is thebirthplace of Chinese ice and snow art. During the Lantern Festival in 1963,the city hosted thevery first ice lantern feir in the park, during which over a thousand ice lanterns and dozens ofice flowers made with simple tools like basins and basket for freezing were on display. Later, alarge-scale annual ice lantern feir was held each year in Harbin.