If you think of Harbin only as a destination for its famous ice and snow festival, think again. The ongoing beer carnival brings out the fun in a city that appreciates the sun, Tian Xuefei and Zhou Huiying report.

The rising temperatures and agreeable weather of summer in Harbin attract tourists from all over the world to celebrate its International Beer Festival for about two weeks, through July 17.

There are 11 beer halls with different themes located in Harbin Ice and Snow World Park - an area of over 600,000 square meters. The largest one covers an area of 5,600 square meters. With that kind of space, even though more than 15,000 visitors poured through for a pour on the first day, you didn't feel the crowds. There are enough seats in each beer hall for those who want to have their dinner here.

While the festival is a high-light of the city's calendar, Harbin has a special place in its heart for beer. Harbin Brewery was established in 1900, the earliest one in China and is now among the country's largest. (The more famous Tsingtao brewing in Qingdao was founded three years later, also by German brewers.) The per capita beer spending in the city is the highest in the country.

At the festival, a choice of more than 100 brands of beer from all over the world, including the United States, Germany, Russia and South Korea, keeps the suds flowing from the 11 am opening until 11 pm, when the park closes. Besides the domestic brands including Harbin, Snow and Tsingtao, there are more than 20 foreign brands including Berliner Kindl, Krombacher, Monchshof, Baltika and Budweiser.

In addition, many beer halls also offer craft beers. After maturation, all the micro-brewery beer is served unpasteurized with no artificial coloring. It's naturally cloudy from the yeast, with all natural ingredients, vitamins and minerals.

In the Paulaner beer hall, people can enjoy what may be the most famous beer in the "beer capital of the world", Munich. Paulaner still continues its early commitment to quality and all natural ingredients, based on the "Reinhesitsgebot", or German beer-purity law from 1516. The handcrafted brewing uses only four basic ingredients: barley, hops, yeast and water.

A beer carnival wouldn't be complete without good food, and the organizers seem well aware of that.

The festival assembles tasty snacks from all over the world: Locals and tourists can choose from sausage, roast goose, seafood, fried chicken and fresh fruit from different booths.

People who crave stimulation will have a good time too, thanks to about 200 shows every night. By nightfall, the whole park is full of loud music and the lights are shining on the stages of every beer hall.

The German beer hall presents rock music and an exciting magic show. The Paulaner beer hall has an eye for elegance and taste: There are classical music shows, stunt shows and even saxophone shows. The Munich hall offers a live show from Germany, while the Budweiser hall promises wonderful impersonation shows.

The Chinese beer halls also have colorful performances. The Wudalianchi beer hall has Chinese kung fu king Guo Haijun, who has won three Guinness World Records, to perform, while the Harbin and Zhencang beer halls have Chinese arts performances.

"In fact, it's easy to buy most of the beer in supermarkets or on the internet, but I really feel quite excited when I come to the park," says Feng Zhuo, 33, a local citizen. "Harbin has along history of beer and we all love beer. In the festival, we can have the experience of enjoying a beer carnival."

Contact the writers through zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

Harbin International Beer Festival

Through July 17;Harbin Ice and Snow World Park, Songbei district, Harbin, Heilongjiang province. 451-5856-1401. Entry fee: 20 yuan ($3) per person on weekdays and 30 yuan per person at weekends.

(China Daily 07/08/2016 page19)