A 51-metre-high castle, poised to set the record as the world's highest and largest snow sculpture, today opened to visitors in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
Combining both gothic and baroque styles, the "Crown of Ice and Snow" stands on the surface of a frozen lake at Sun Island in Harbin, the provincial capital.
More than 160 artists used more than 35,000 cubic metres of snow to build the castle, which covers an area of 2,800 square metres, said Yang Hongwei, chief designer of the 28th Sun Island Snow Expo, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The castle is the main attraction of the European snow town built during the expo this year, which also houses replicas of the city's iconic train station and a famous Russian restaurant, Yang said.
Hosting a variety of snow-themed activities, Harbin attracts millions of tourists each winter.
