Global’s Morning News previews The Great Ice Show at The Forks

WINNIPEG – For the first time, The Forks will be transformed into The Great Ice Show, inspired by an ice festival in China.

For almost a month, more than 40 ice sculptors from China have worked on assembling the winter wonderland that is set to kick off on Monday, January 25.

The Great Ice Show will feature life-size dinosaurs and bears made from snow, sled rides, ice bumper cars, igloos, toboggan slopes along with ice workshops.

PHOTO GALLERY: Previewing The Great Ice Show in Winnipeg

Andy Zhao moved to Winnipeg from China more than a decade ago and has been working to create something similar to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival there.

“Entrepreneurs here want to change the attitude from negative to positive,” the president of Canadian Icetival Inc., Andy Hao said. “We’re trying to make Winnipeg people have a better experience in their winter time.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Entrepreneurs here want to change the attitude from negative to positive," the president of Canadian Icetival Inc., Andy Hao said. "We're trying to make Winnipeg people have a better experience in their winter time."

With warmer than normal weather this winter, Zhao had to bring in more than 4,000 ice blocks and man-made snow from outside the city to build the ice sculptures, some which are 10-feet fall.

The ice sculptors are still working on a 20-foot tall ice slide and a 15-foot polar bear head that people can toboggan through.

WATCH: Global’s Shannon Cuciz with a inside look at The Great Ice Show’s ice bar

3:21 Taking a look at the bar at the Great Ice Show

Zhao plans to continue the festival in Winnipeg after this year with a goal of attracting visitors from across Canada and around the world.

The winter experience is for people of all ages and will run until February 28.