The Ice and Snow Festival Travel Tips

The city of Harbin, formerly colonised by the Russians, lies in the North-Eastern tip of China – at this time of year, frozen at temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius.

But wrapped up in layer upon layer of clothing, thousands of visitors flock here each year to see the spectacular the Ice and Snow Harbin festival, where ice and snow is exquisitely carved into elaborate sculptures.

Ice and Snow World and the Ice Lantern Festival opens every December with a dramatic fireworks display over the crystalized sculptures.  On January 5, it’s formally open to the public.

In recent years sculptures have included such diverse subjects as Disney fairy-tale palaces, traditional pagodas, a giant Harbin (own-brand) beer bottle and the face of Mao Zedong. The festival is beautiful during the day with the sun’s reflections, but fabulous at night when little lights, frozen inside blocks of ice, are switched on. My favourite were the sculptures which had ice slides – probably intended for children, people of all ages climb up ice steps or ladders, then whizz down them very quickly!

One rather unusual attraction is the Siberian Tiger Park, home to several of these endangered and majestic creatures. Visitors are kept safely in caged vehicles or walkways whilst the Siberian tigers and other wild beasts (including white tigers and ligers) are given live animals to eat at feeding time. The lunch-time feeding slot is not for the faint hearted as a live-lunch of chickens and calves is often on the menu.

Harbin’s Russian past is still evident in places – in the architecture of Central Street (Zhongyang Dajie), with its cobbles and onion-domed buildings, in its leafy boulevards, and reportedly in the drinking habits of the locals! Perhaps the most lovely building in the city (at least among those made of stone and mortar) is St Sophia’s Cathedral. This Russian Orthodox cathedral is in the middle of a square not far from the festival, and in the midst of all the festivities provides a feeling of something permanent and ancient.

Tips:

• Wear two of everything but make sure the outer layers are not white. With the amount of snow in the city there is a good possibility you won’t be seen.
• If you are short of any clothes you can buy at the local supermarkets and at very low price.
• Wear warm shoes with a good grip
• Wrap up you camera as it freezes. Take spare battery with you.
• Do sightseeing between 11am and 2 pm ( it’s the warmest time of the day)
• During visit to the Ice Festival please don’t stand close to the sculpture. The ice blocks can fall down, especially if the weather is warmer.
• Carry a flask with hot tea
• When in the warm room do not touch radiators – they are boiling hot.

Getting there:

China Holidays’ Harbin Ice Festival 2016 tour visits not only Harbin and all its sights introduced above, but also the capital city, Beijing. Please check The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin 2016  or phone China Holidays on 020 7487 2999 for details. Alternatively email us on sales@chinaholidays.co.uk

The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin – China Holidays

If you are not a Siberian Tiger you could be forgiven for imagining that Harbin is a city characterised by hostile temperatures. Even the Chinese inevitably ask how you coped with the bitter cold if you ever mention a trip there. However, those who have been to the Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin know that the crisp air and perpetual bright blue sky has an appeal not easily forgotten. Harbin’s unique sights, history, culture and cuisine make it one of the most fascinating cities in China. The name Harbin comes from the Manchurian ‘a place to dry fish’ but the Chinese have given it many names including the Ice City, The Moscow of the East, and The Paris of the East. On a summer evening, enjoying a beer and street performance on a terrace on Central Street, now one of China’s protected historical areas, you could almost be in Van Gogh’s Terrace at Night.

The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin with China Holidays

Chinese flock to Harbin to escape the close heat of summer but it is as a winter wonderland that the place has come to be known.

Harbin’s Central Street surpasses expectations. The cobbled avenue stretches for almost a mile through the centre of the city, lined on either side by perfectly preserved examples of Russian architecture dating back to the late 19^th Century. In the 1920’s the area would have been full of contemporary music – now Central Street is mainly a shopping destination with most of China’s famous brands enjoying this great location. During the winter the street is adorned with Harbin’s famous ice lanterns, hewn skilfully from blocks of ice from the nearby Songhua River and ingeniously lit from within. These winter sculptures resemble ghostly chess pieces and are a fascinating adornment to an already picturesque part of the city. While the summer beer terraces are still months away, tourists can enjoy one of the many Ice-bars, or sit in the warmth of an Art Deco Café enjoying a bowl of warm Borsch. For shopping, Central Street is also connected to Harbin’s underground labyrinth of underground shopping malls which are great places to thaw out or pick up a quality down jacket.

At the end of Central Street is the Flood Monument, and beyond that China’s famous Song Hua river. During the summer, the riverside path is a serene leafy boulevard full of Harbiners escaping from the city bustle for a stroll or to practise Tai-qi. In the winter, the frozen river becomes a playground for children and adults alike, with ice-skating, horse-rides – even ice-swimming for those wanting to demonstrate their hardiness.

The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin with China Holidays

If you enjoy nostalgia and a sense of the past, the old Russian quarter of Harbin still has a bustling produce market which despite being run-down these days, is a hidden gem for those who want to step off the beaten track.

One of Harbin’s distinctive landmarks, St Sophia’s Orthodox Church, is a five minute walk from Central Street. Built in 1907 Saint Sophia has a fairy-tale quality and is a favourite place for romantic walks and photo opportunities. Unfortunately, despite a pristine exterior, the only congregations in St Sophia’s these days are those visiting the architectural photographs exhibition which it now houses.

The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin with China Holidays

For the winter traveller, the Pièce de resistance is the annual Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin. As night falls, an area just north of the Songhua River is transformed into a spectral ice city. Behind the grand entrance – which in 2007 was an impressive copy of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe - is a surreal world made entirely out of ice. The scale of the castles and monuments is such that most can be explored via ice-staircases and there is usually a slide for those who like the quick way down. The entire ice-world is lit ingeniously with LEDs which give the whole place an eerie and fascinating glow. In such extreme temperatures it is essential to dress accordingly. A quality down jacket is the obvious choice (and widely available in Harbin in a refreshing array of colours and at a fraction of the UK price). Proper shoes, ideally with good grip and preferably lined (also available very cheaply in Harbin) make the experience much more enjoyable. To warm up, there are many ice-cafés and restaurants for you to retreat to and warm up those camera batteries (which are likely to have gone flat very quickly unless tucked into a warm coat).

  

Visit Siberian Tiger with China Holidays

One of Harbin’s residents better suited than us to the harsh winter is the Siberian tiger which you can see in the safari-park style Siberian Tiger Park. However, the lunch-time feeding slot is not for the faint hearted as a live-lunch of chickens and calves is often on the menu.

Another gem in China’s Heilongjiang province is the Snowlands, which is about a five-hour drive from Harbin. The picturesque winter landscapes are a favourite with photographers and the locals brighten up the long winter with regular firework displays and fetes. You can choose to meander through the winter landscape or even trek up and enjoy the vista at Shuangfeng from 800m above sea level. For those who enjoy creature comforts horse-drawn sledge rides can be arranged before going back to enjoy a home-cooked meal at one of the Snowland’s many Homestay cottages.

Snowlands in Harbin with China Holidays

Lastly, any description of Harbin would be incomplete with mentioning food. Harbin is famous for back-to-basics “North-East” cuisine where rich, intoxicating flavours come as standard, without fussy presentation and at a price that everyone can enjoy. Classics include Chinese dumplings, and ‘baozi’, a kind of steamed bun, cooked fresh and filled with meat or vegetables – which taste even better when it’s minus 15. The region is also known for what the Chinese call “rustic” cuisine, characterised by stewed local meats and fresh seasonal vegetables.

China Holidays offers a unique opportunity to experience this winter wonderland with an itinerary which gives you the chance to see why so many Chinese brave the cold to visit Harbin. The China Holidays Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin tour is a perfect opportunity to enjoy this distinctive city, the warmth of the local Chinese as well as striking architecture and great food - making this a perfect introduction to China’s North-East.