Opening night of the 29th Changchun Ice and Snow Festival on Dec 19. [Video/Tian Jiaxin]

The 29th Changchun Ice and Snow Festival opened on Dec 19 with the main tower of Changchun Ice and Snow New World lighting up the winter sky and fireworks cascading over glittering ice castles.

Spanning 1.56 square kilometers, the park features landscapes sculpted from 850,000 cubic meters of ice and snow.

The show blended entertainment, music, and sports, as celebrity hosts energized the crowd, actors delivered laugh-out-loud moments of humor unique to Northeast China, and singers echoed across the icy fairytale world. Olympic short-track skating champion Zhou Yang shared stories of speed and passion, while local internet sensation Xuebing Monkey added a warm, distinctly regional touch.

Opening night of the 29th Changchun Ice and Snow Festival on Dec 19. [Photo/Tian Jiaxin]

This snow season, Changchun will roll out more than 200 ice-and-snow-themed activities. Xinmin Avenue will be transformed into a snow-and-tech art corridor, major theme parks will be upgraded to deliver immersive experiences, and six ski resorts will further enhance their ecosystems.

Changchun Ice and Snow New World will remain open until the end of February next year. To boost winter consumption, the city will also host other expo events and launch ice-and-snow combo tickets and multi-sector vouchers.