I'm having some difficulty figuring out the exact range of dates for the ice festival in Harbin, China in 2010. I believe it begins on January 5, 2010, but can anyone confirm this AND (more importantly, for me) confirm when it ends? Thanks very much.

The opening ceremony of Harbin ice festival is fixed on January 5th. And there is no closing ceremony. The festival often lasts till the end of February.

People say go before February. The sculptures don't look that great after.

Hi, I would also love to go to the Harbin Ice Festival soon. From what I can gather, it will officially start on 5 January (in this case 2010) ... but I'm wondering if there are any Christmas / New Year lights coz December is a lot easier for me than January but I certainly don't want to go if will not be in it's best light? Happy travelling! K

The festival officially ends February 5th, but if the weather remains cold, the statues and sculptures will remain.
Honestly I recommend it to everyone. I was just there and will definitely return next year.
For a couple years I saw pictures of the ice festival and thought it looked cool, but only when I saw it in person was I able to understand the grandiosity of the whole event.
If anyone's interested, I posted my Harbin Ice Festival pictures here: http://kl.am/6zoZ
Also, if anyone's interested in meeting up next year for the festival let me know since I'd be down to check it out again . . .