The “Global Mayors Dialogue · Harbin” event will be grandly held in the Ice City from January 6 to 8. Guests from cities around the world will gather in Harbin to engage in discussions on key topics such as “Sustainable Development of the Ice and Snow Economy and Pathways for Global Cooperation” and “Innovation in Urban Public Governance and Global Emergency Collaboration.” Through the exchange of development ideas, mayors will build consensus and map out practical paths for cross-border and cross-sector cooperation.
The event will open with the “International Cities · Sharing Ice and Snow” lighting ceremony at the Torch Tower Plaza of “Snow Lilac,” located in Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world’s largest ice-and-snow-themed park. Mayors from multiple countries will jointly press the launch button, illuminating the iconic “Snow Lilac” Torch Tower—an emblematic structure of the 2025 Asian Winter Games—together with the dazzling ice architecture of Harbin Ice and Snow World, conveying the vision of “Connecting the World with Ice and Snow — Win-Win Cooperation for a Shared Future.”
Chinese and international guests will take part in an immersive experience titled “A Date with Ice and Snow · Carving the World” at the specially designated Ice Sculpture Experience Zone in Harbin Ice and Snow World. Participants will personally carve the emblem of the “Global Mayors Dialogue” on ice, experiencing firsthand the unique charm of ice sculpture culture through hands-on interaction.
The “Walk & Read Harbin” visit program will guide guests through landmark destinations such as Central Avenue, the Space Museum of Harbin Institute of Technology, and the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival. In the Carnival’s Public Activity Zone, guests will observe a variety of winter outdoor activities—including winter swimming, ice spinning tops, and ice skating—experiencing the Ice City residents’ philosophy of embracing ice and snow with resilience and joy despite the cold.
Attending guests will also enjoy a live performance of the large-scale symphonic work Ode to Civilization by the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, China’s first symphony orchestra, fostering shared civilizational understanding through a collective artistic experience.
During the event, Harbin will also host the 2026 Harbin International Ice and Snow Economy Expo, further promoting tangible outcomes in cultural exchange, industrial matchmaking, and economic and trade cooperation among international cities. The current edition of the Expo has already attracted hundreds of leading enterprises from China and abroad, with an expected attendance of over 30,000 visitors.
