The Sapporo Snow Festival is held in Sapporo, Japan and attracts about 2 million visitors every winter. The 2015 one just ended this week.

The first festival took place in 1950 when local high school students made six snow statues. Nowadays, the festival includes an international sculpture contest, ice rinks, air shows, and some of the most intricately detailed statues.

Here are some of the most creative and inspiring images from the this year's festival, courtesy of Rocket News 24.


This snow family from a popular Japanese cartoon. A family made of snow welcomes people to the 2015 Sapporo Snow Festival

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

The popular hero from this year's Disney movie "Big Hero 6" taking in the scenery at the festival

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

Even with a tank in its midst the festival was as peaceful as ever

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

Elsa and Anna from the movie "Frozen" in their natural environment

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

Olaf the snowman from Disney's "Frozen" was literally turned into a snowman at this year's festival.

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

Check out this swordfish ice sculpture. It was one of 4 overall winners of the ice sculpture contest.

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

An eagle with a fish in its talons won first place in the ice sculpture competition

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

A snow child pokes its head out of a barrel while its mother hovers nearby

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

This snowy ram confused visitors who thought it was real

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

A TIE fighter from the original "Star Wars" trilogy makes a crash landing at the festival

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

A massive sculpture dedicated to the original "Star Wars" trilogy elicited raves from visitors this year

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

Darth Vade from "Star Wars" casts a looming shadow on the throngs of visitors to the festival

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

Check out this replica of the Kasuga Grand Shrine during the day.

A replica of a Japanese shrine seems too real

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

And at night. This replica of a Japanese shrine needs to be real

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller

And finally, this is what the Sapporo Snow Festival looks like at night from above.

Photo Credit : RocketNews24/ KK Miller
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