Iconic giant snowman unveiled in China’s ice city

An iconic giant snowman has returned to delight the crowds in northeast China’s Harbin as the city gears up for its peak winter tourism season, with the 19-meter-tall figure appearing larger, rounder and more cheerful than ever.

The much-loved landmark took 11 days to complete, with a team of 64 sculptors and more than 100 workers carving the friendly giant entirely by hand. Due to limited natural snowfall so far this year, over 3,500 cubic meters of machine-made snow was used to build the figure, giving it a smooth and dense finish.