The festival was stopped for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution. It was resumed on 5 January 1985, when the Harbin city government hosted it at Zhaolin Park. It was then announced as an annual event. In 2001, the festival was merged with Heilongjiang International Ski Festival and got its current formal name. The Harbin Ice Festival is one of the world's top ice and snow festivals. It attracts a growing number of visitors from around the world.