Winter Tour to Harbin

In the morning, our experienced guide will pick you up at Harbin Taiping International Airport. Then, we will drive you southwest to China Snow Town, which is 340 kilometers away, and it may take about 5 hours to get there. If you get car sick or face other situations, please don’t hesitate to ask our guide for help. China Snow Town is in the southwest of Mudanjiang city in Heilongjiang Province, located at the intersection of Zhangguangcai Ridge and Laoye Ridge of Changbai Mountain Range.

China Snow Town covers an area of 179.16 square kilometers at an elevation of 2,000 meters. The cold air from Baikal and the warm and wet currents from the Sea of Japan mix in China Snow Town. In addition, with the influence of the high mountain and the dense forest, a unique microclimate of “clear weather is uncommon in summer; the snow is ubiquitous in the forest in winter” is formed in China Snow Town. Every year, the snow falls from October to April with a snow period of seven months, and the snow depth can reach as deep as 2 meters. Due to its geographical position and climatic conditions, the snow is heavy in quantity, sticky in quality, and long in preservation period in China Sown Town.

We will stay a night at China Snow Town. You can admire the charming snow landscape at night. In China Snow Town, hundreds of houses are like a connected “snow house”, covered by layers of snow. Looking towards the streets, two rows of red lanterns hang on the wooden houses. Under the reflection of these lanterns, half-meter-high snow piles up on the roof, as white as jade or somehow like clouds floating in the sky. The wooden houses, various layers of snow on roofs or other plates, and people who walk on the street make this snow town look like a fairy land.

China Snow Town

China Snow Town

On the second day in China Snow Town, you will visit attractions and take part in snow activities. In the morning, after breakfast, you will first visit Bangchui Hill Sightseeing Plank Road. It is 3,200 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. Bangchui Hill Sightseeing Plank Road, in a wooden structure, is built down the Bangchui Mountain (“Bangchui” means wooden club.). You can choose three entrances to enjoy Bangchui Hill Sightseeing Plank Road.

The first entrance is Snow Town Square, on the north of Bangchui Hill Sightseeing Plank Road. If you walk up to 200 meters on the main plank road, you will see a fork which is about 208 meters long, leading to the snow scenery photography area. Walking along the main road, you will pass through Bangchui Pavilion, Strange Corner Pavilion, General Pavilion, Pentagon Pavilion, Sandie Corridor, and finally arrive at the view platform, the highest peak of Bangchui Mountain.

The second entrance is in the middle of Bangchui Mountain, opposite Xueyun Pavilion. There, you will see a mountain gate. The gate is 6 meters high and 13 meters wide in a wooden structure with two layers of corridor eaves on the top. After entering the gate, you may walk about 30 meters to the sightseeing plank road. Here, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the snow-covered farmhouses -- red lanterns hanging high in small farmyards, smoke curling out of kitchen chimneys, bunches of yellow corns, and red pepper hanging under eaves. You can also enjoy the tongue-shaped, curtain-like, mushroom-shaped snow and other natural landscapes. If you come at night, you may be in a fairyland, where colorful lights on roads and houses reflect onto the snow, dressing up the whole scenic site in a red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple world.

The third entrance is the south gate of Bangchui Mountain. Along this route, you will pass Bangchui Mountain Amusement Park, Jingxiu Pavilion, Zhuanyun Pavilion, Ping’an Pavilion, Xiuxian Pavilion, Bangchui Mountain Stronghold Ruins Site, Sandie Corridors, and finally arrive at the view platform. Especially at night, at the foot of the mountain, you may see blue and yellow light lining on the sightseeing plank road, just like a dragon soaring up.

In the afternoon, after a provided lunch, you will watch snow sculptures at the Snow Sculpture Viewing Area at the south of Snow Street, which covers an area of more than 5,000 square meters. Sometimes in December, the “China Snow Town Cup” Heilongjiang Snow Carving Competition for college students will be held here. You may see their snow sculptures.

Also, you can choose to visit Dream Home, located at the golden section of Snow Street. It is a manor that integrates accommodation, catering, entertainment, the northeast China dance opera, and snow entertainment. Because this place was used as the shooting location, the farmyards are more refined with wells and bridges than other farm courtyards. You can take some good photos. Following the wooden plank road, you can climb halfway up the mountain to the visiting platform, and take photos of the manor and the snow town in a panoramic view.

Then, you can visit Fairy Tale World for the beautiful snow landscape on Snow Street. Wooden houses line up like mushrooms with snow. After dark, the place is full of colorful and dream-like lights. Photographers in groups follow the lights to picture windows and houses. Some of those photos even won photography awards. As night falls, bars, night market, and Snow Street are the most lively places. You can taste delicious barbecue, frozen pears, or other frozen foods. If you cannot stand the cold, you can sit by warm bonfires or take a hot spring bath to relax. You can also explore other sites that you are interested in.

You may need to make some preparations before you start visiting. You shall put on your thickest down coat, wear a cap that can cover your ears, a warm scarf, gloves, and a pair of professional snowshoes. You shall pay attention that due to the low temperature your phone or other electronic devices may be turned off.

Bangchui Hill Sightseeing Plank Road

Fairy Tale World

In the morning, after a provided breakfast, we’ll leave China Snow Town and drive north to Yabuli Ski Resort which is 85 kilometers away, taking about 1.5 hours. The Yabuli Skiing Resort, located in the branch of Zhangguangcai Mountain in the Changbai Mountain, is surrounded by Big Guokui Mountain (1,374 meters above sea level), the Second Guokui Mountain (1,262 meters above sea level), and the Third Guokui Mountain (1,000.8 meters above sea level).

“Yabuli” is translated from its Russian name “Yabloni” meaning “fruit garden”. Yabuli Skiing Resort was a hunting field for the royal family and Manchu nobles in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Now it is the largest ski resort and the largest comprehensive snow training center in China. The extreme minimum temperature is -44°C (-47.2 °F), and the average temperature is -10°C (14°F). The annual snow period is 170 days, and the skiing period is 150 days. Although the skiing period can last from mid-November to mid-April of the following year, December to mid-March is the best skiing period.

Yabuli Skiing Resort has 46 ski trails and 25 cableways. The longest single snow trail is 5 kilometers, the longest alpine snow trail is 2,680 meters, the maximum drop of alpine competitive snow trail is 900 meters, and the maximum drop of tourism snow trail is 600 meters. In 2014, ten intermediate tails were added, with a total length of 8,800 meters. Two cableways were newly built, with a length of 2,859 meters.

Yabuli Ski Resort has two parts: an alpine competitive ski area and a tourist skiing area, with an area of 22.55 square kilometers. As for the alpine competitive ski area, it was built at an altitude of 988 meters between Big Guokui and the Second Guokui mountains, and the Second Guokui and the Third Guokui mountains at international standards. It has nine alpine ski trails, seven cross-country ski trails, six ski lifts, and a 90-meter-level alpine jump platform. The alpine competitive ski resort is a place for training Antarctic scientific researchers and national athletes.

The tourist skiing area is in the Third Guokui Mountain, called Windmill Mountain Manor. You will see windmill villas representing the classic windmills in different styles in the world since the 14th century. One hundred and ten windmills form a windmill net array. Windmill Mountain Manor has Yashiqi primary snow resort, Sanguokui primary snow resort, Sanguokui medium and advanced ski runs. There are 11 primary, medium, and advanced alpine ski trails, with a total length of 30 kilometers, among which the No. 4 ski trail is the longest alpine ski run in Asia. Besides, Windmill Mountain Manor set a circular cross-country snow trail that is 5 kilometers, a hovercraft that is 2 kilometers, some trails for snowmobiles and sleighs, three cableways for two-person chairs, and three cableways for traction.

Windmill Mountain Manor has also been equipped with some mechanical snow devices, like snowmakers, snow pressing machines, snow motorcycles, etc. The snow trails are allocated with cableways in chair and traction types. So you can take cableways without taking off your snowboards to ski on all snow trails. Because of the climate, not all snow trails are open every year. Besides, primary ski trails are illuminated for night skiing. The opening time is from 16:30 to 22:00. You can enjoy your skiing time and other activities for a half-day and stay at Yabuli Skiing Resort at night.

Yabuli Ski Resort

Yabuli Ski Resort

After a provided breakfast, you could experience more activities apart from skiing at Yabuli Skiing Resort. For example, you can pay by yourself to ride on a sledge that is dragged by horses, a kind of common transportation in the countryside of Northeast China, to go through birch forests in about 40 minutes. Then, after lunch, we will leave Yabuli and drive to Harbin, which is about 240 kilometers, taking about 3 hours.

You will pay a visit to Central Street first. It is a century-old street and a name card of Harbin. Central Street was established in 1898, initially called “China Street”. Since 1925, it has been renamed “Central Street”. Central Street was the most famous street in the Far East because of western buildings in different styles gathered in this street. You will perceive the architectural culture of Harbin and the European-style life of local people. In local people’s hearts, Central Street is deserved to be called “the first street in Asia”. Central Street is not only a pedestrian street but also an architectural art museum.

You could shop on Central Street. Pay attention to that some goods are a little expensive, but some multiple stores are worth recommending. Walking on Central Street, you may be attracted by Harbin snacks, Korean and Japanese dishes, etc. Among various snacks, you must try Modern Ice Suckers. If you go to Harbin without a taste of this ice sucker, it just like going to Beijing without visiting the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. This brand has been sold for more than a hundred years. No matter in summer or winter, people are lining up to buy it. It is said that the daily sales of Modern Ice Suckers could reach more than 10,000 only on Central Street.

Here is a story about the stones paved on Central Street. A Russian engineer, Kemtlashawk, designed and hosted the project in May 1924. He used yellow granite, which is 18 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide. These granites were buried in the ground half a meter deep. This paving project had cost a lot. At that time, the price of this kind of stone was about 1 dollar, which could be a monthly meal expense for ordinary families. Central Street is 1,400 meters long, so nearly 100,000 stones were used. Therefore, it was a road paved with gold somehow.

Walking south and turning east along Central Street, you will arrive in Saint Sophia Church, which is regarded as a landmark in Harbin. It was built in 1907. Saint Sophia Church now serves as Harbin Architectural Art Gallery. It used to be the largest Orthodox church in the Far East, and now it is the best-preserved Byzantine architecture in China. You can see an onion-like dome and the bell tower on top of the front gate with seven brass music clocks, the symbol for seven notes. You will see some pigeons and musical fountains in front of the church. Furthermore, you could find the best angle to take a photo, especially after the snow when Saint Sophia Church is more like a fairy tale world. You may see young couples taking their wedding pictures at Saint Sophia Church.

Saint Sophia Church

Central Street

On the last day in Harbin, after a provided breakfast, we’ll go to the north bank of the Songhua River to visit Sun Island and Siberian Tiger Park in the morning. Sun Island is the flood plain wetland and grassland of the river ecology that is located in the urban area. Sun Island covers a total area of 88 square kilometers, among which the scenic area is 38 square kilometers, and the peripheral protection area is 50 square kilometers. Sun Island can be divided into the east, middle, and west parts -- the east part is the main visiting area, the middle part is for entertainment, and the west part is a natural ecological area. Since 1988, International Snow Sculpture Art Fair has been held here every year. Park benches and pavilions have been set up for visitors to have a break. Local people are used to having picnics on Sun Island.

Here are some attractive sites:

Deer Park: If you are interested, you could try to buy a small box of deer food, and the go inside the park and take photos with Sika deer following the staff.

Squirrel Island: The entrance of the island is a giant root-shaped gate. The Squirrel Island covers 24,000 square meters. It consists of three small islands that are connected by wooden trestles. These small islands are protected by glass walls. They are built to prevent squirrels from running out based on the highest height of squirrel jumping. 

Swan Lake: Covering an area of 12,000 square meters, the lake is an ideal habitat for swans and a variety of wild birds who could live in these pristine wetlands with native vegetation. You can watch beautiful postures of white swans, black swans, mandarin ducks, swan gooses, etc. Moreover, you can walk on winding trestles into the lake and reed, enjoying the harmony of man and nature.

Then you will visit Siberian Tiger Park, facing Sun Island across the river and occupying an area of 120, 000 square kilometers. The Tiger Park, which covers an area of 360,000 square meters, is the largest wild natural garden of Siberian tigers in the world. The Chinese government built this park to save and protect the endangered Siberian tigers. There are ten sites, including Wild Domestication, Adult Tiger, Young Tiger, King Tiger, Tiger Breeding, Liger Tiger, African Lion, walking area, and tiger watching platform. You can watch over 100 Siberian tigers, white tigers, snow tigers, white lions, ligers, black jaguars, and African lions. Except for the walking area and tiger watching platform, you shall take special sightseeing cars to visit the rest of the scenic spots.

The five-day Harbin itinerary is over. In the afternoon, we will send you to the airport according to your flight. We hope you have a good time in Harbin. If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will expect to meet you next time and take you to visit other famous sites in China.

Sun Island

Siberian Tiger Park

Author: Beibei Yang