28 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival

 The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been held since 1963.
It had been interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution until it was resumed in 1985.

Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province of People's Republic of China, is one of the sources of ice and snow culture in the world.

Geographically, it is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia.
The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. It can be as cold as -38.1 degrees Celsius in winter.

Officially, the festival starts January 5th and lasts one month.
However the exhibits often open earlier and stay longer, weather permitting.
 

Ice sculpture decoration technology ranges from the modern (using lasers) to traditional (with ice lanterns).
There are ice lantern park touring activities held in many parks in the city.
Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli alpine skiing, winter-swimming in the Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden.



The Harbin festival is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.

Kazak riders compete in a racing game, Dec 28, 2011. The first Altay International Ice and Snow Festival began on Dec 28 in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China. The 100-day festival will feature sport games and folk performance. [Photo/Xinhua]

Two riders race in the snow, Dec 28, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

A singer performs for the audience, Dec 28, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

Famous Christmas Trees Around the World

In the 16th century the origin of Christmas trees started in Germany from where it was passed on to England. Throughout many parts of Europe, by the 1800s, the Christmas tree custom was prevalent and was brought to America in the 1820's by the Pennsylvania German immigrants. The first manufactured Christmas tree ornaments were sold by Woolworths in 1880, and the first electrically lighted Christmas tree come into view in 1882.

 Mount Ingino Christmas Tree

In Italy’s Umbria region the Mount Ingino Christmas tree is a lighting illumination, which is installed yearly on the slopes of Monte Ingino near Gubbio. The Christmas tree is lit up every year on December 7 (Immaculate Conception Eve)! The Guinness Book of Records named it as "The World's Largest Christmas Tree" in 1991. Composed of nearly 730 multi-colored lights and 8.5 kilometres of electrical cable, the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city.

 U. S. Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C.

Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. represents the 50 U.S. states encompassing evergreens in the 'Pathway of Peace'. To celebrate the Christmas holiday season, the Capitol Christmas Tree (previously the Capitol Holiday Tree) is a decorated tree that is erected yearly on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Traditionally the Capitol Christmas Tree is lighted at 5:00pm EST on December 9 through to New Year's Day.

 Murano Island Sports the Tallest Glass Tree in the World

The home to the tallest glass tree in the world is Venice ’s Murano Island, renowned global for its quality glasswork. The tree is a modern reflection of the holiday season, first displayed in Campo S. Stefano on the island of Murano through Epiphany, and then moved into the Murano Glass Museum. The tree is seven and one-half meters tall, weighs three tons and crafted by glass master Simone Cenedense.

 Christmas Tree next to the Mohamed Al-Amin Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon

The tall Christmas tree located next to the Mohamed Al-Amin Mosque is denoted by well-known fashion designer Elie Saab in Downtown Beirut, Lebanon. Viewing Lebanese diversity and tolerance, Mohammed Alamin Mosque appears in the background.

 Unirii Square Christmas Tree in Bucharest, Romania

Unirii Square Christmas Tree (Piata Unirii) is more or less the center of Bucharest, capital of Romania. Along with Bucharest’s City Hall, The Portuguese Millennium BCP Bank, built the tallest Christmas Tree in Europe. For this artificial tree over 2 million lights were used that is as tall as a 21-story building (~76m) and weighs about 300 tons. The Christmas tree was lit in a ceremony on the Romania's National Day, where 70.000 people were present in the Unirii Square on 1st of December 2007.

Trio of Christmas tree

You will surely agree that the most wonderful Christmas tree views are always unforeseen. A rainbow trio of Christmas trees lights up the night against a backdrop of tall, shadowy firs. However, the location of this Christmas tree is unknown.

Largest Christmas tree in Europe

Visit the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal to view the largest Christmas tree in Europe. Since 2004 the Lisbon Christmas Tree is an Artificial Christmas tree erected yearly in Lisbon, Portugal. The tree is called the Europe's tallest Christmas tree from 2005, when it was an participant in the Guinness World Records. The tree boasts thousands of lights and enlarges over 230-feet into the sky, adding to the special enchantment of the city throughout the holiday season. Every year the height of the tree differs and in 2007 it was the highest at 76 metres (249 ft).

 Romer Frankfurt's city

Drink a glass of gluhwein from the holiday market at the Romer Frankfurt's city hall since 1405 and enjoy a taste of Christmas past.

 Galeries Lafayette! In Paris,

Galeries Lafayette! In Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic. With its monumental, baroque dome, plus 10 stories of lights and high fashion, it's no surprise this show-stopping department store draws more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

 Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka.

A Christmas tree befitting Tokyo's nighttime neon display is projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka.

 Sumava mountains in the southern Czech Republic

 Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague's Old Town Square, and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous Christmas market, is a grand tree cut in the Sumava mountains in the southern Czech Republic

 Moscow celebrates Christmas

Moscow celebrates Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox calendar on Jan. 7. For weeks beforehand, the city is alive with festivities in anticipation of Father Frost's arrival on his magical troika with the Snow Maiden. He and his helper deliver gifts under the New Year tree, or yolka, which is traditionally a fir.

 St. Peter's Square

 In addition to the Vatican's heavenly evergreen, St. Peter's Square in Rome hosts a larger-than-life nativity scene in front of the obelisk.

 Puerta del Sol

The Christmas tree that greets revelers at the Puerta del Sol is dressed for a party. Madrid's two-week celebration makes millionaires along with merrymakers. On Dec. 22, a lucky citizen will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery.

 London's Trafalgar Square

A token of gratitude for Britain's aid during World War II, the Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square has been the annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947.

Look amazing this Christmas and New Year: beauty diet survival tips

It's not that hard to stick to your beauty detox diet through the 

party season. Ultra Beauty diet tips will make sure that you continue your 

healthy eating and start the New Year looking and feeling amazing! 

You’ve been eating right all year, but hey…Christmas is a time to let go of your diet and eat whatever you want, right? Wrong! Why undo all that good work?  It's way too easy to put on 5 kilos and let your skin get dull and blemished, but if you know how to handle the holidays, you can come out the other side looking incredible - and start the New Year feeling amazing.  

The first part of this two-part diet post tells you how to avoid the junk and choose those Ultra Beautiful foods; while tomorrow’s post will describe the surprising Christmas foods that have powerful beautifying effects – stay tuned!

1) Conquer the annual junk food display 

Even the strongest willpower cowers in the face of temptation.  Display bowls of grapes, not Quality Street. It's virtually impossible to resist sweets when they're right in front of you, so do yourself a favour and don't have them on view. If you’re at someone else’s house, ask them to put the sweet bowl in a cupboard.  Believe me; it’s the only way to resist.

2) Do some forward party planning

Eat a snack before you go to a party, and you’ll find it easier to say no to those disastrous crisps, sausage rolls and sandwiches.  A banana and a handful of nuts is perfect, as the protein and fat means the snack is digested slowly, delaying the effects of that first glass of wine, and making it easier to decline the canapés and concentrate on chatting to your friends! 

3) Back away from the buffet

Buffets can be a disaster zone.  Fill half your plate with salad and vegetables, and the other half with protein-based dishes like salmon, prawns and non-wheat carbs like potatoes and rice.  It’s really important to have some of all three types of food on your plate – fat, protein and carbs – if you’re to feel full for several hours. Don’t be embarrassed about making this a proper meal, as it’ll save you from snacking later on, and the person who points out that you’re overloading on carrot batons will usually be the one hoovering cheese straws later!

You could go mad on this healthy buffet

4) Choose drinks carefully

Wine is the best choice of alcoholic drink, as it contains antioxidants and even a small amount of a chemical with an anti-ageing effect on your body called reservatrol.  After that, vodka and soda is my favourite drink because it is low in calories and has the hydrating effect of the soda water. Oh, and the vodka seems to leave me more clear headed than wine or cocktails!  

Make mine a vodka soda

Sugary drinks and beer are total disasters for your skin and very calorific, so try and avoid as much as possible!

Basically, I’m afraid that excessive alcohol is bad news for your beauty diet for several reasons.  One, it is full of empty calories that add to your daily count, but without giving you much in the way of nutrients. A glass of white wine has 250 calories which is the same as a bar of Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut, and is packed with sugar. Sugar attaches to skin cells and breaks down collagen, so too much over time leads to wrinkles and sagging.

Secondly, it sends your blood sugar level sky high, only to come crashing down, which makes you ravenous and all too likely to succumb to stodgy, unhealthy foods.  Being tipsy means you make bad food choices.  I’m not saying never get drunk, but just be aware of what effect it’s having on your health!

5) Avoid all dips and crisps

They have no nutritional value yet loads of calories!  For some reason, I can eat plates of them and never feel full, which makes me all the more suspicious of them..

6) Mince pies – the devil’s work

Just say no.  There isn’t a single thing in a mince pie that is good for you, from the sugar drenched fruit filling to the wheat and vegetable oil pastry to the 250 calories for a miniature amount of food.  If you’re at someone’s house and want to decline politely, just say, ‘No thanks, I’m saving myself for the main event!’ and make a big deal of the main meal, or other snacks on offer.

7) Go bananas

Strawberry Santas are brilliant and diet friendly desserts

Eat more fruit. It has been shown that water-based fruits such as cantaloupe, blueberries, apples, oranges, strawberries, peaches and watermelon help to make you feel full, and help you to feel fuller for longer. No one will mind if you have a few tangerines for dessert at that family dinner, if you say you are so full from the delicious main course!  There are vegetables which can have the same effect too including – cucumber celery, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, squash and tomatoes.

Watermelon trees are perfect detox diet snacks

8) Spend some quality (shut-eye) time with your family

Take naps - a snooze after Christmas lunch is a good way of catching up on restorative sleep. It's also the perfect alternative to continuous snacking.

9) Control, but don’t obsess

You don’t need to ration your Christmas dinner like it’s the last meal you’ll ever eat, but you do need to control your food intake. Make sure to watch what you’re eating, and only eat a bit more than you know you should. Obsessing over calories can make your meals pretty stressful, so just keep an eye on your meal. If you’re overdoing it, stop eating – or have a helping of salad. Don’t feel pressure to accept all offers of food!

10) Balance the binge

Getting out for a long walk, going for a jog or ice skating is loads of fun and can be an alternative to marathon TV sessions.  Here is a fun Christmas workout routine you can do in front of the tree, and click here for the soundtrack!  Doing some physical activity means you'll burn some of that excess energy you've eaten, and make sure you look glowing and healthy for the next party.  Yes, dancing to Christmas Classics counts..

11) Get back on track

After a big night out, or an over-indulgent meal, don't be tempted to skip meals. (If you have a hangover, you'll need good food.) Trying to fast can lead to even less willpower when it comes to making good choices the next time. Just remember the 80/20 rule of balance and pack into your next meal as many fresh fruit, veg and skin-friendly foods as possible and your body will forgive you!

Next blog post – how Christmas Day foods are surprisingly Ultra healthy…

Hangover vs. Beauty: instant tricks to look and feel better

 So your beauty detox diet took a night off...don't worry, you can get back 

on track to healthy eating, shift that hangover and get back to Ultra Beautiful 

in no time. Read below for the best hangover cures...

Splitting headache, nausea, bags under your eyes the size of a Samsonite luggage suite: yep, you overdid the booze last night. After swearing you'll never EVER drink alcohol again, you want to do something, anything, to help you look and feel better - especially if languishing in bed for the whole day is out of the question. 
Follow the steps below as soon as you wake up. They will help settle your tummy, shake off the vice around your skull, and put a rosy glow in your cheeks so that when you get to work you can innocently say, 'Out last night? Me?'

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1. DRINK THIS

Water and lemon

Lemon water is the first thing to get you back on the beauty detox diet,
and is an easy part of the healthy eating plan for glowing skin

H2O is a must. As you likely know from the frequent trips to the bathroom during a night of debauchery, alcohol is a diuretic and causes dehydration. This adds up to a grey, puffy complexion and a thumping headache as your blood literally thickens from the lack of moisture. A tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon or dash of orange juice will replace that lost moisture in your skin, and the hit of vitamin C will perk up your complexion. Don't overdo it - drinking pints of water won't work any faster, and will shock your jaded stomach. Tempting though it is, skip the cappuccino calling your name - the caffeine will give you five minutes of energy, after which you'll be left with a trembly, anxious feeling, rather than the balanced composure we are aiming for. 

2. EAT THIS
After hydration, your skin needs nutrients to replenish those lost during the night, to reduce puffiness and restore peachy glow. 
Ever wondered why you feel sad, confused and depressed after a night on the booze? That's because alcohol leaches B vitamins from your body, ransacking stores of these vital nutrients leaving you deficient. 
The eight B vitamins work together to manage your mood, feelings and stress levels, so it's no wonder that a sudden drop results in those morning-after blues. 

The best thing to do is take a supplement, which will have super high potency for fast replacement - Solgar is my favourite but Berocca works too and both will turn your pee a pleasant orange colour. Even better, take one a day during the party season. 

Without a cupboard full of pills though, your best bet is to eat Marmite - a rich source of the vitamin B complex. As an added benefit, Marmite has a high sodium content which can help replace the salts lost through alcohol.

Eat bananas: Calm your stomach and get an energy boost

Bananas are a classic hangover food. They are packed with potassium and magnesium, two of the minerals often depleted in our bodies after a night on the fizz. A lack of potassium in the body can lead to nausea, weakness and tiredness, so stocking up on bananas can help reduce these classic hangover symptoms. As an added bonus, bananas are natural antacids so great for reducing stomach acid, and are good for providing a boost of energy if you have a busy day ahead.

What's with the shakes?

You feel shaky after drinking because your alcohol makes your blood sugar levels plunge so low that without food, your body has to release adrenaline into the blood stream to break down fats to provide energy. That adrenaline disturbs what little sleep you had tried to get, and makes you feel panicky and trembly when you awake. 

Solution: stodge

Slow release, carb-rich foods stop that shaky feeling by giving cells much-needed energy to function and work at clearing the toxins alcohol left behind. Porridge is the food of choice: rich in our pals the B vitamins, magnesium, calcium and iron; and on top of this, oats can help neutralise acidity levels in the body, cleanse the liver, absorb toxins and slowly raise blood sugar levels, making a bowl of porridge the perfect hangover breakfast. Otherwise, gluten free muesli with almond milk or a baked potato with beans are perfect. Don't worry about the time of day - just choose whatever you feel like best. Eating something warm and nutritious will make you feel immeasurably better. 

Other hangover busters are...

Eggs: Incredible, edible toxin destroyers, eggs pack heavy loads of cysteine, an amino acid that can break down toxins. Plus, eggs are high in B vitamins.

Coconut water: A low-sugar coconut water contains just as many electrolytes as Gatorade.

Soup: The salt and potassium help bring body levels back to normal. The sneaky benefit is that saltiness makes you thirst, meaning that you're forced to glug more water.

3. BEAUTIFY

Ok, so we've done the groundwork with the food, so you should already be starting to perk up. Looking in the mirror though, it may be clear that you still look like the sorry mess that you woke up as. It's time to turn that around, if only to avoid the sniggering 'Good night last night?' wink-wink comments that are bound to come your way when you venture out of the house. 

First, get into the shower, bathtub or whatever water based feature you can handle. Having greasy hair even on a good day makes me feel semi-homeless, so if you've got time, do a shampoo and condition. If not, or you don't have access to your usual products (we won't ask why), spray dry shampoo, shake a sprinkling of talcum powder or rub face powder into the roots - both act to absorb the oil.

Dry shampoo or talc can save hungover hair!

Getting dressed - choose kind colours like pink and cream which will reflect nice warming tones onto your skin, instead of pallid greens and black. 

Fill the sink with cold water, add as many ice cubes from the freezer as you've got - frozen peas will do too - and dunk your face into the freezing cold ice spa you've created. Hold as long as you can stop breathing for, lift out, and repeat five times. The coldness makes your red eyes appear whiter, the puffiness go down, and will put colour back into your cheeks.

After a thin layer of moisturiser, don't be tempted to put concealer under your eyes. It will turn into a crinkly, flaky mess. The same with mascara - less is more. Think of today as your chance to try the au naturel look. 

Last point, if you've done anything at a work party you're less than proud of: Get. Into. Work. Take a taxi, arrive late, do whatever it takes to get your bum on that desk chair. It is the number one thing you can do for damage control and limit the gossip, however excruciating it may seem. At the end of the day you can retreat home to the sofa, pile on a face pack and swear off booze...until next time..

Ahh the sofa.. grab some beauty detox diet snacks and relax...