That's ice work: The stunning pictures of the exquisite ice sculptures in Japan's extraordinary annual snow festival








The craftsmanship is astonishing, and the attention to detail is exquisite. But there's a snowball's chance in hell that this ice carving of the Taj Mahal will stand the test of time.



The stunning replica of the white marble mausoleum is one of nearly 250 sculptures making up an annual snow festival and competition in Sapporo, Japan.



Spectacular: The scale replica of Indai's Taj Mahal is just one of the stunning snow sculptures to make up the annual snow festival in Sapporo, on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido

Freeze frame: The stunning sculptures tower over the crowds gathering to marvel at the entries to the 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival And while Britons prepare to retreat into the warmth of home as this country gets its first dumping of snow of the winter, millions of spectators are expected to flock the temporary ice city which springs up for just seven days every February. The Sapporo Snow Festival began spontaneously in 1950 when a group of six local school students decided to build snow sculptures. Since then the event has become one of the biggest festivals in Japan, attracting a rtists come from around the world to take part in the massive ice carving competition. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

1

Next Travel chaos hits roads, rail and air as snow turns to ice... Atlantis disappears again ... but this time it's all thanks... I'll serve for the rest of my life, vows the Queen as she... Share this article Share Eye for detail: A competitor, left, makes tiny adjustments to her entry into the festival which takes over a large part of the city of Sapporo, right, for seven days every February

Attraction: A large snow statue of Disney character Mickey Mouse draws a crowd as it is lit up on the eve of the annual snow festival in Sapporo, on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido Magnificent: Ice sculptors draw inspiration from Japanese culture and cartoon characters to create impressive carvings that enthrall young and old alike













