A Southern Girl Heading North • Harbin + Mohe | The Story of 9 Days Is Very Long

📍 Harbin · 👁 3 reads · ❤️ 115 likes

✨On mobile, tap the table of contents in the lower left corner to see some content✨📌Lots of useful info, recommend saving 🎈Feel free to leave me a message if you have any questions💛Thanks for liking, wish you a happy life!﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌As usual, let's look at the pictures first:

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌Text divider﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌As a girl from the south, snow has always been a strong attachment for me. Over the past twenty-plus years, I have dreamed of it many times, almost touching the snow in my dreams. That surreal feeling and the sense of loss upon waking only made me believe more firmly that even distant and seemingly unattainable thoughts can be realized if I take action. To fit this trip into my schedule, swapping shifts at work was really a headache. But in the end, I finally got my vacation confirmed. 2020/1/14-2020/1/22 A dream team of three – a 9-day trip to Harbin / Mohe. ✨Thoughts after the trip On 2020/1/23, on the train back home, the eve of Chinese New Year. The novel coronavirus pneumonia was causing panic, and people wearing masks were everywhere. Every time I saw confirmed cases in the news, my heart sank. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and has a good New Year. Nine hours on the train gave me enough time to reflect and sort out my thoughts. I'm a person who hates cold, so after deciding on the itinerary, every time I checked the weather for Harbin and Mohe, I worried that my gear wouldn't be warm enough. What is -30°C+ weather like? So I ended up buying tons of warm items and prepared a 29-inch suitcase. But it turned out not as I imagined—I brought too many things that I never used (gear details later). A piece of advice: travel light!

During the Spring Festival travel rush, it was so hard to get tickets😭 Guangzhou - Harbin West by train (actually Zhaoqing - Harbin West) Harbin - Mohe by train Mohe - Harbin by train Harbin - Shenzhen by plane Transportation within Harbin: taxi/bus/walking Transportation in Mohe: find a reliable guide to take you around (key point: before going to Mohe, find a guide in advance; detailed Mohe itinerary below) ✨Details: 👉 From Harbin West Station to Central Street by taxi ~¥30 From Central Street to Stalin Park/Songhua River/Saint Sophia Cathedral/Harbin Railway Station by taxi ~ starting fare ¥10. Walking is also possible, but sometimes it's hard to hail a taxi for very short distances. You can also take the bus, but waiting will make you cold. 👉 The guide in Mohe was found online by my travel buddies. At first, we were worried he might not be reliable, but the whole trip was enjoyable. We sang and chatted together in the car, and he taught us the Northeast dialect, celebrated Dongdong’s birthday, bought tasty snacks, and was very nice. Most importantly, he saved my phone (almost lost it). A very reliable companion! If you want a reliable guide who looks like Wang Sicong and sounds like Shen Teng, feel free to message me. ✨Personal recommendations for must-visit places in Mohe: Birch Forest (visually stunning), First Bend of the Heilongjiang River (scenic along the way), Beihong Village (awesome overlooking the village), Arctic Village (stay a bit longer and explore the surroundings) ✨Here’s the Mohe route my guide sent me: 【Mohe Find North 3 Days 2 Nights】 --- Classic Route D1. Pick up at airport/train station, Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves, Mingxin Bridge, Wusuli Shoal (the real northernmost point), First Bend of the Heilongjiang River, Beihong Village D2. Beihong Village, cross pristine birch forest, Evenki Reindeer Park, northernmost house, Shenzhou Arctic Square, northernmost post office, Arctic Village, Christmas Village, ski resort. D3: Arctic Village, Xuanwu Square, Beichui Sentry Post, Arctic Star Square, Songyuan Park, May 6 Fire Memorial Hall, trip ends with drop-off at airport/train station 【Mohe Find North 4 Days 3 Nights】 --- Panorama Relaxation Tour D1: Mohe pick-up -- Songyuan Park -- May 6 Fire Memorial Hall -- Arctic Star Square -- free exploration in town D2: Mohe -- Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves -- Mingxin Bridge -- First Bend of the Heilongjiang River -- Wusuli Shoal -- Boundary Marker 142 -- Beihong Village D3: Beihong Village -- Shennong Bay -- Nvjiao Bay -- pristine birch forest -- Evenki Reindeer Tribe -- Arctic Village D4: Arctic Village -- northernmost house -- northernmost sentry post -- northernmost post office -- Christmas... ski resort... Mohe drop-off

Stroll along Central Street, eat ice pops, red sausage, and sugar-coated hawthorns, slip on the smooth ground Northeast wash, cut, and blow Northeast bathhouse Ski with kids, feed reindeer, drone shot in birch forest, starry sky in Beihong Village, fireworks in Beihong Village, throw boiling water into freezing air in Beihong Village, build a snowman at Arctic Square, eat frozen persimmons in Arctic Village, sleep on a kang (heated brick bed), taste all kinds of Northeast cuisine, run freely in the snow, have a snowball fight, take a photo with Santa Claus, have a concert in the snow, chat with locals, try real skiing for the first time, learn Northeast dialect, write postcards on behalf, lick ice experience, set off fireworks in Arctic Village, make homemade postcards, get chased by a dog, climb a mountain… Will add more if I think of anything.

Gear for -30°C+ (suitable for -15 to -36°C; I'm sensitive to cold, but later I didn't feel too cold) If you're from the south and have no idea what this temperature feels like, just remember these points: 1) Must be windproof, otherwise you can't stay out. 2) The more covered, the better, otherwise you can't stay out. 3) Ten seconds after taking your hands out of gloves, and you can't stay out. About my gear: 👢 Shoes: Decathlon snow boots + thin long socks + cotton socks + fluffy socks, occasionally add foot warmers, usually not (with this combo, toes still get numb after about 30 minutes outdoors; I found foot warmers not very effective). 👖 Pants: Decathlon thin base layer + thick leggings (supposedly suitable for -10°C from an online shop) + windproof cotton pants (for Mohe, you must bring windproof cotton pants, otherwise no matter how thick your base layer is, it's useless) + a nice dress over the top 👚 Top: Decathlon thin base layer (same set as pants, sweat-wicking and quick-drying) + a top worn over + outer jacket (I didn't feel cold on my upper body; at -30°C I wore one base layer + a short-sleeve T-shirt + a branded down jacket and basically didn't feel cold) 🎩 Hat (preferably with ear flaps) + Gloves (at least two layers; I brought Decathlon thin gloves + Nanji Ren thick gloves; pay attention to color, and make sure they are touchscreen compatible; black is best for photos) + 🧣 Scarf (protect your neck from wind; choose a color that's easy to match, like red…) At -30°C outdoors, no matter how much you wear, after about half an hour, your toes and fingers start to go numb. If you're using a camera, your fingers may lose feeling faster. What does it feel like? You can put your hand in the fridge and touch the ice – that's the sensation after ten seconds. But if you want to take good photos, you have to endure the cold! Later, I got used to the temperature and often didn't wear gloves or only wore one layer, because unlocking and operating a phone with gloves is troublesome, so I took them off. It was very cold, but compared to cold, capturing beautiful things is more important. I also sometimes didn't wear a hat, but if outside for a long time, you must wear it, especially when skiing. ✨If you see a shop or public toilet, you can go in to warm up before heading out again. ～ If you have long hair and don't tie it up, after being outside for a while, the hair on both sides of your mouth will freeze from the vapor of your breath, and your scarf will too. I didn't wear a mask mainly because it's troublesome; if you feel cold, you can cover your face with your scarf. Without a mask outdoors, your lips will get so cold that you can't speak clearly, and your nose will run and freeze, but I found it manageable. If you cover yourself completely, you can't really feel the temperature. ✨Summary: Bring hand warmers, occasionally stick them on the bottom of your feet and on your phone (or camera) to warm your hands. Snow boots: thicker, one size larger, as tight boots make you feel colder; better if anti-slip, waterproof, and high-top to keep snow out. Pants: base layer + windproof cotton pants. Top: base layer + thick jacket is usually enough. Gloves: two layers; scarf and hat required. I brought a 29-inch suitcase and it was quite tiring, but a 20-26 inch suitcase would be sufficient. ✨Other essentials: The weather is dry, so bring a thermos, moisturizer; it's best to bring a complete travel toiletries kit; bring some tissues too. Sunglasses: I brought them but didn't use them. Power bank: bring one. For girls who wear makeup: keep lipstick handy. For those who wear glasses: you can wear contact lenses; it's fine outdoors. Cold medicine: we didn't bring any. ……

Phones outdoors will freeze and shut down quickly. For reference: my Xiaomi 8 at -30°C, playing music + recording + Bluetooth, lasted about two songs. Stick a hand warmer on your phone – it helps a little, letting you take photos longer; video drains battery fast. After the phone freezes and shuts down, don't charge it directly; wait until the phone warms up before turning it on and charging. My phone originally used password and fingerprint unlock, but it was super inconvenient here. Although my gloves were touchscreen, they were too big and kept pressing wrong spots, so I switched to facial recognition and operated the phone with my nose and chin (so ridiculous). Finally, I got tired of the slowness and took off my gloves; the thrill: within five seconds, my fingers were instantly numb. ✨Photography gear suggestion: Even if you think you can just use your phone before departure, with enough storage and battery life, you must consider subzero temperatures. If you want to take good photos and take your time, I suggest you absolutely not bring only a phone. On this trip, I didn't bring a DSLR because I thought it was too heavy and inconvenient in low temps, and I still think that was the right decision. But only bringing a phone is really not advisable. I used a Xiaomi 8, which has impressive battery life, but it still shut down from cold twice. Yet the battery was still durable. Still, if you're outdoors for a long time and the phone won't turn on, it's frustrating. Forget about iPhones – just go enjoy the scenery. I suggest bringing a mirrorless camera, which is light. My two travel buddies each brought a mirrorless, each with three batteries, barely enough for half a day (with heavy shooting). If you're a photography enthusiast, make sure your memory card has enough space, otherwise you'll have to delete some to take more, which is annoying. On this trip, both buddies ran out of memory and had to delete as they shot – not fun. You can also bring a stabilizer for video clips, but it drains battery quickly.

✨Harbin accommodation: Search for the Central Street area and choose a place within acceptable distance. I don't have special requirements for accommodation. This time I booked an apartment for two consecutive nights, but the experience was average, so I won't recommend it, though the location was fine. ✨Mohe accommodation: Follow the guide. We booked a 3-day, 2-night route but actually stayed 4 days, 3 nights, spending an extra day in Mohe. First night: Beihong Village, Northeast floral quilt, sleeping on a kang. Second night: Arctic Village, sleeping on a kang. Third night: Arctic Village, same. Arctic Village is worth it. Arctic Village is worth it. Arctic Village is worth it. Accommodation in Mohe is generally affordable.

Food tried: Guobacrout (fried pork in sauce), Modern ice cream stick, red sausage, iced strawberries, iron pot stew, dumplings, pressure-cooker fish, chicken stewed with mushrooms, kill-pig dish (sautéed pork with sauerkraut), simple farm pork, great harvest dish, river fish, leavened pancakes, sticky bean buns, Blue Gege soda, frozen persimmons, crispy candy... Recommended food: 👉 Shanhetun Iron Pot Stew 👉 Guobacrout 👉 Modern ice cream stick 👉 Blue Gege soda 👉 Chicken stewed with mushrooms 👉 Great harvest dish 👉 Frozen persimmons 👉 Red sausage... For ordering in Mohe, reference: portions are large. Standard: 4 people with 3 dishes is already abundant; price a bit higher around 200 yuan. ✨Below are some food photos:

👆 Cabbage and minced pork dumplings + sauerkraut and minced pork dumplings

👆 Modern ice cream stick

👆 Guobacrout + three-fresh dumplings

👆 Dongdong’s self-brought dry soup

👆 Frozen persimmons + frozen pears

👆 Water tofu stuffed bread

👆 Menu of a Northeast restaurant

👆 Great harvest dish

👆 Chicken stewed with mushrooms

👆 Special drink: honey-flavored carbonated drink Blue Gege

👆 Ice pops placed outdoors

👆 Various sugar products

👆 Local farm pork

👆 Frozen persimmons + blueberry juice + Blue Gege

💛Kids: On the train to Harbin, there were many kids, one especially memorable. 👉 A 2-year-old who called herself Baby; she could recite 'Gee geese geese' and make a peace sign with crooked fingers, laughing slowly 'hahaha', very well-behaved. She saw ice at the window and lay down wanting to eat it – so cute. 👉 Another little girl from Tianjin, she said her name was 'Si Yi Han'. A little princess, she cried when she couldn't find her dad, but the moment she saw him she called him 'Daddy' over and over in her soft voice – lovely. 💛Chatting with the taxi driver As soon as we arrived in Harbin, we chatted with the taxi driver. His only advice: 'Don't lick the utility pole!' Haha! 💛Two travel buddies 👉 The buddy from Suzhou – Min – I saw her suitcase which was much smaller than mine, and I looked at my 29-inch monster 😂 Conversation started easily. I really admire people who travel solo; once we chatted, the awkwardness disappeared. We talked occasionally, listened to music – our tastes mostly matched. 👉 The second buddy joined halfway through the trip; she was from the Northeast and very straightforward. I remember one day it snowed a little; I turned and asked her, 'Sis, was that snow just now?' She said, 'That was very light snow.' I said, 'Just tell me if it was snow – if it really snowed, I can brag about it when I go back.' She said, 'Yes, it snowed.' Haha, she had my back. 💛The guide is a fun, caring, and entertaining guy In his car, we heard him sing, so he's a singer. He used to be a chef, so he's also a chef. A chef who was a singer makes a good guide… Haha, you won't believe how many names we mistakenly called him. Incomplete count: we called him director, coach, master, boss… all slip of the tongue. 💛Shopkeeper at the small store In Arctic Village, there was a small store we often visited, buying candy, drinks, or just warming up. Each time we chatted with the shopkeeper, who was very kind, telling us to warm up before going out again. 💛And the lady at the post office and the guy selling fireworks – thank you all!

✨Location keywords: En route, Central Street, Cola Museum, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Songhua River, Stalin Park, Old Daowai, Shanhetun Iron Pot Stew main store 👇 En route from Guangzhou Railway Station to Harbin West Station

---👇Central Street

👆 Me just arrived in Harbin

👆 Dongdong just arrived in Harbin

👆 Stop! No, shut your mouth

---👇Cola Museum

---👇Saint Sophia Cathedral

👆 Saint Sophia Cathedral

👆 Dongdong taking a photo seriously

👆 Super beautiful Dongdong

👆 Sitting silly together 😂

👆 Looking at this, contrasts with the three behind – interesting

👆 Please be with me

👆 We're together now

👆 Video outtakes 1

👆 Video outtakes 2

👆 Video outtakes 3

👆 Video outtakes 4

👆 Lovely person---👇Songhua River

👆 On-duty scene---👇Stalin Park

---👇Old Daowai

---👇Shanhetun Iron Pot Stew main store

👆 Dongdong's signature travel wash, cut, and blow---

✨Location keywords: Deer Park, China's Northernmost Point, First Bend of the Heilongjiang River, Beihong Village, Birch Forest, Arctic Village, Ski Resort, Christmas Village, Mohe County

👆 Such a warm scene

👆 Feeding little reindeer

👆 Me on duty---👇China's Northernmost Point

👆 The three of us squatting like we did something wrong

---👇First Bend of the Heilongjiang River

👆 First Bend of the Heilongjiang River

👆 The three of us nearly dying halfway up the climb

👆 Extremely beautiful dusk

👆 Very cinematic---👇Beihong Village

👆 My buddy's photography skills

👆 Northeast kang

Partial view of Beihong Village