The start of China's "Russian Tourism Year" and the 28th China Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will be simultaneously launched in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on January 5, 2012, said Harbin City Mayor Lin Duo at a press conference in Beijing on November 24.

With a theme of "Happy and Healthy Travel," 2012 will be the 20th annual National Tourism Year celebration since 1992, said Zhu Shanzhong, the Deputy Director of China's National Tourism Administration at the conference.

To further consolidate bilateral relations between China and Russia, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed at a summit this year that the two countries will jointly hold "Russian Tourism Year 2012" in China and "Chinese Tourism Year 2013" in Russia.

"As the host city of the opening ceremony of 'Russian Tourism Year', Harbin will present a special and splendid ice and snow festival to all tourists," said Lin. The upcoming festival will last three months.

The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival--sponsored by the National Tourism Bureau, Heilongjiang Provincial Government and Harbin Municipal Government--comprises a variety of events related to the ice and snow. As China's most well-known ice city, Harbin has hosted the snow carnival for almost 30 years. As a major part of the festival, the Ice and Snow World Park is a must-see for winter tourists. During the festival, the park is full of a large number of ice and snow architectures, sculptures and recreational facilities which shine with enchanting illumination.

In addition to tourists, hundreds of sculptors from different countries attend the international snow sculpture competition and create world-class snow sculpture works. The Ice and Snow Festival has grown to be a famous brand of Harbin.