Recently, the Standardization Administration of China issued Announcement No. 24 of 2026, designating Harbin Ice and Snow World Co., Ltd. as both the secretariat of the Technical Committee on Artificial Ice and Snow Landscapes of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC358) and the national technical counterpart unit. This is China's first ISO technical committee secretariat in the ice and snow industry, marking the official establishment of the world's first international standardization technical organization dedicated to artificial ice and snow landscapes in China, and filling a gap in the international standardization framework for this field.
As the initiative of "engaging 300 million people in ice and snow sports" continues to advance, China's ice and snow economy has expanded from a regional specialty of the north to nationwide coverage, with indoor ice and snow venues, urban ice and snow parks, and seasonal ice and snow landscapes being widely developed across the country, and the industry continuing to grow in scale. Globally, the artificial ice and snow landscape industry is accelerating, but countries differ considerably in their technical systems for construction, safety management, and ecological protection, and the lack of unified international technical rules has become a prominent shortcoming constraining cross-border coordinated development of the industry.
The ISO/TC 358 was proposed by China. In October 2025, Harbin Ice and Snow World, in conjunction with the China National Institute of Standardization, submitted an application for its establishment to the International Organization for Standardization through the Standardization Administration of China. After two rounds of voting by ISO member countries, and facing the real challenges of divergent national technical systems and high coordination difficulty, the application team conducted extensive communication and promotion, building broad global industry consensus. The application was formally approved by ISO on July 20, 2026.
The committee's scope of work covers the entire standardization chain for the design, construction, safety, operation, maintenance, and sustainable development of indoor and outdoor artificial ice and snow landscape structures. It will systematically develop a series of international standards covering basic terminology, engineering construction, safety protection, and green low-carbon practices. The relevant standards will not only suit the construction and operation of large outdoor ice and snow parks in northern China, but also accommodate diverse application scenarios such as indoor ice and snow venues in southern China and urban temporary ice and snow installations. They will broaden international perspectives for the standardized, high-quality upgrading of China's ice and snow industry, and provide a unified technical basis for the development of the global artificial ice and snow landscape industry.
Heilongjiang is endowed with exceptional ice and snow resources, and Harbin Ice and Snow World, as a leading player in China's ice and snow industry, has long been deeply engaged in the R&D, construction, and operation management of artificial ice and snow landscape projects, accumulating end-to-end, replicable practical experience. The establishment of the secretariat is a major achievement of coordinated efforts at the national, provincial, and municipal levels to advance the international technical committee application, the development of domestic ice and snow standards, and the construction of national-level pilot projects. This achievement is not only a major breakthrough for the ice and snow industry of Harbin and Heilongjiang, but also a testament to the overall strength of China's ice and snow industry. After years of cultivation and development, China has built a complete industrial system covering ice and snow engineering construction, cultural tourism operations, and green low-carbon technologies, accumulated a wealth of localized innovative practices, and possesses the comprehensive capability to lead the formulation of international rules in this field.
Next, Harbin Ice and Snow World will press ahead with the preparatory work for the secretariat, and complete relevant tasks such as personnel review and approval, expert pool establishment, and the development of international liaison mechanisms in an orderly manner. Relying on this international platform, China will continue to translate its mature practical experience in ice landscape construction, safety management, and green operations into international standards, exporting the "Chinese ice and snow solution" to the world.
Editor: Zheng Xuebin Reviser: Lu Bingwu Final Reviewer: He Shengying
