Frosty Feats: 12 Incredible Snow Sculptures

China’s “City of Ice”—otherwise known as the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival—is home to some truly amazing snow and ice creations. Pictured at the 29th annual event, which was held this past winter, is “Romantic Feelings,” the largest ice sculpture ever made.

Although these snowy trees are life-size, the incredible detail and serene setting make them seem as if they've been rendered in miniature. This sculpture was a finalist in the 2009 St. Paul Winter Carnival, and the artist is back for another go-round in January 2014.

It’s hard to deny a Bigfoot sighting when he’s been erected in packed, frozen snow. Or, as some say, this menacing statue may just be Old Man Winter letting us know summer isn’t coming anytime soon.

Catalonia-Spain’s team took second place with this piece of (very) modern art in the 2013 International Snow Sculpture Championships at Breckenridge. Named “Banyista Nua” (Nude Sunbather), this Picasso-style sculpture channels irony with its warm subject matter in such a chilly environment.

A highlight of the 2010 Sapporo Snow Festival, "Northern Zoo" brought to life a snow leopard as well as a small menagerie of other endangered animals.

This familiar fridge-raiding scene was created for Snow Days Chicago 2013, held at the Windy City’s Gateway Park last January. Sculptors from around the world started with a collective total of 8,000 cubic feet of snow from which to design their masterpieces.

Because the difference between snow and ice is actually only the difference between frozen vapor and frozen water, we thought we could sneak in an ice sculpture. One thousand of them, actually: Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo installed 1,000 seated ice men on the steps of Berlin’s concert hall to illustrate the effects of climate change.

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