Crowds of residents and tourists lined the riverbank to film the ice-harvesting activities.

"The ice-harvesting ceremony was stunning," said Alina Dorokhina, a Russian student. "The ice and snow may be cold, but the people, the sounds and the rich folk traditions here are all warm and full of life."

The ceremony also marks the official start of Harbin's winter tourism push.

The ice slabs will form the backbone of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park. This year's edition will expand to a record 1.2 million square meters and use 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, according to Sun Zemin, deputy director of the marketing department at Harbin Ice-Snow World Park Co., Ltd.

The park will roll out a slate of new attractions this year to draw visitors, such as hot spring camps, cross-country skiing tracks, themed parades and a variety of ice-and-snow activities. It will also enhance smart tourism services and accessibility facilities to better welcome global travelers.