HARBIN - A theme park in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province started to collect ice and snow on Sunday for the creation of ice and snow sculptures.

Workers cut ice on the Songhua River in preparation for the upcoming 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Dec 8, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Harbin Ice and Snow World, located in the provincial capital of Harbin, will cover 600,000 square meters, according to the park owner Modern Group.

A total of 180,000 cubic meters of ice and 150,000 cubic meters of snow will be used for the carving of sculptures this year, the group said.

A 48-meter high "ice palace", carved with over 20,000 cubic meters of ice, will become the landmark artwork of the park.

The theme park is scheduled to open to the public on Dec 24.

First open to the public in 1999, the theme park has so far attracted about 600,000 tourists from home and abroad.

The theme park, along with a snow expo and an ice lantern show, will herald the opening of the 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival on Jan 5, 2013.