World’s Largest Santa Claus in China

As our readers reel from the news that Canada claims Santa Claus is a Canadian citizen, word comes this Christmas morning that the world’s largest Santa Claus, an ice sculpture measuring nearly 525 feet in height, is in China.

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, a world-famous winter wonderland of ice sculptures, opens on January 5, 2009. Up to 800,000 tourists from around the world are expected to visit Harbin, in northern China. The famous ice festival has been held annually since 1985. The star attraction this year will be the mammoth Father Christmas (Santa is actually called Dun Che Lao Ren in China.). Harbin, sometimes described as the “Oriental St. Petersburg,” is one of China’s most beautiful cities. It’s renowned for unique Russian and European-influenced architecture, while colorful life-sized ice buildings reflect traditional Chinese architecture. Ice bars are popular with revelers, who find chilled vodka a perfect accompaniment while celebrating.

Take a tour of the Harbin ice festival.

Photo credit: Reuters

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