Something new: Winter wonderland

As the rugged Eddard Stark so often says in fantasy television show , "Winter is coming."

But unlike the members of House Stark, Hongkongers should not fear the cold spell: our early winter is coming in the form of the achingly cool inaugural Hong Kong Harbin Ice Festival.

Inspired by the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival - the largest of its kind in the world and which has been running in that freezing northern extremity of the mainland, Heilongjiang province, for nearly 30 years - the event's organisers are ready to put a shiver down Hong Kong's spine.

Tai Tong in Yuen Long will be transformed into a winter wonderland. The Ice Exhibition Hall, spread over more than 900 square metres, will display ice sculptures inspired by animals of the Ice Age and amusement parks, as well as ice slides and igloos, created by Lau Hingwan.

Lau began his ice-sculpting career at the Harbin festival more than three decades ago and has showcased his work around the world, from Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival to Canada's Quebec Winter Carnival and Norway's Ski Festival.

Japanese lighting designer Ashiki Hirotaka will be illuminating the creations in Hong Kong.