San Agustin Church featured at Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China

Metro Manila, Philippines - An ice sculpture of the iconic San Agustin Church is now a major highlight at this year’s International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China.

Located in Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province, the festival showcases remarkable sculptures of famous global landmarks, with the baroque-style San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, taking center stage.

The church is part of a stunning display at the expansive Harbin Ice and Snow Park, where sculptures of other notable landmarks from around the world are also featured according to a Facebook post by Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz.

These include the Merlion from Singapore, Cambodia's Bayon Temple, the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque from Brunei, Myanmar’s Shwedagon Pagoda, Indonesia's Borobudur, Thailand’s Grand Temple, Laos’ Pha That Luang, Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers, and Vietnam’s Khue Van Pavilion, as well as numerous Chinese national treasures.

“The Harbin Ice and Snow Park impressed with both its vast scale and artistic content. I had the chance to experience the festival from a bird’s-eye view on a Ferris wheel, and later enjoyed sliding down a thrilling 500-meter-long ice slide,” said FlorCruz.

The envoy added that the inclusion of the San Agustin Church in the festival is a celebration of the rich Philippine architectural heritage and a way to introduce the country to the huge Chinese audience.

“For me personally, it also holds special significance. Ana and I were married at this very church 38 years ago,” FlorCruz added.

The festival, which began in late December, will run through February. Harbin is also the host of the ninth Asian Winter Games on Feb. 7-14.

This will be the second time that Harbin will host the event and the third time for China to host the Asian Winter Games.