The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is a comprehensive annual event, while Ice and Snow World serves as its core venue—featuring massive ice sculptures, snow attractions, and nightly light shows. They’re related but distinct: the former is the festival umbrella, the latter its main highlight. For your January 1–4, 2018 visit, Ice and Snow World typically enters a soft opening phase ahead of the official festival launch (scheduled for January 5 that year). You can expect iconic ice structures, snow slides, and stunning evening illuminations. Pair this with linked events like Sun Island Snow Expo and Central Street ice lantern displays. To ensure you catch exact opening times and optimize routes between icy attractions and city landmarks, we can craft a bespoke itinerary with real-time updates (service@intotravelchina.com), letting you fully enjoy the pre-festival Ice City magic.