(XINHUA)

Tourists attend the opening ceremony of the 24th International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on December 21.

As 2012 will be the Tourism Year of Russia in China, this snow expo focuses on the cultural communication between China and Russia. It is a marvelous event that offers tourists the opportunity to appreciate and participate in interesting snow activities. An international snow sculpture competition will also be held during the expo.