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.
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| 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 19th 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.
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| 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.
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| 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).
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| 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.
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| 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.
