Ice Capades: Chinese Stylee

Every year, the Grand World of Ice and Snow draws thousands of tourists. It's a good thing, too, since the good citizens of Harbin, China haven't had much to offer since the trans-siberian railway pulled out of town for the last time. Instead of despairing, for the last 20 odd years they take an abundant resource, ice and snow, add art and throw a party. Old Stalin park becomes a sledding extravaganza filled with replicas of famous buildings. A turn-of-the-20th-century architectural relic itself, Zhong Yang Street (Central Street), boasts an amalgam of influences: Russian, French, Japanese and even American. According to one online city guide, the Christian church was believed by locals to damage the local feng shui, so they donated money to build a Chinese monastery.