请将下面这段话翻译成英文：

　　冰灯(ice lantern)是中国北方广泛创作的冬季艺术品。它最初是为了照明，在 寒冷的冬夜为中国北方的农民和渔民的工作生活提供光源。后来，各种形状和大 小的水晶般透明的冰灯逐渐成为一种民间艺术，冰灯博览会(fair)成为北方特有 的民俗休闲活动。黑龙江省省会哈尔滨是中国冰雪艺术的发源地。1963年元宵节 期间，哈尔滨市在公园举办了首届冰灯博览会，几千盏冰灯和几十枝冰花展出， 冰灯和冰花由简单的工具制成，如结冰的盆和篮子。后来，大型年度冰灯博览会 每年都在哈尔滨举行。

　　参考翻译：

　　An ice lantern is a wintertime work of art widelycreated in north China. It was originally made forillumination, providing a light source for the life andwork of farmers and fishermen of north China oncold winter night. Later, the crystal-clear ice lanternsof all shapes and sizes gradually became a folk art and an ice lantern fair became a folkrecreational activity unique to the north. Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, is thebirthplace of Chinese ice and snow art. During the Lantern Festival in 1963，the city hosted thevery first ice lantern feir in the park, during which over a thousand ice lanterns and dozens ofice flowers made with simple tools like basins and basket for freezing were on display. Later, alarge-scale annual ice lantern feir was held each year in Harbin.