[Harbin, Mohe] - The Northern Dream of Two Southern Girls

📍 Harbin · 👁 992 reads · ❤️ 5 likes

A rambling preface

Two southern girls have always cherished a northern dream, wanting to roll and frolic in the snowy expanse. So we set off. Like every one of our journeys, there were many surprises and regrets, but because it was a dream, it was beautiful as a dream — inscription.

Trailers

Mohe

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Harbin Ice and Snow World

Songhua River

Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves Wetland Park

Birch Forest

First Bend of Heilongjiang

Beihong Village

Arctic Sandbar

Arctic Village

Mohe

Harbin Polarland

About Us

Yes, you read that right — we are genuine twins, two very quirky girls! This trip was originally supposed to be the northern dream of four southern girls, but we graduated this year and started working, so there were many things beyond our control. In the end, only my sister and I resolutely moved forward. Can you guess which one is the older sister and which is the younger? O(∩_∩)O

Mohe Itinerary Preview

Day 1: Ningbo --- Shenyang --- Harbin (Overnight at Haiyou Inn)

Day 2: Saint Sophia Cathedral --- Central Street --- Ice and Snow World (Overnight at Haiyou Inn)

Day 3: Central Street --- Songhua River --- Sun Island Russian Town --- Gogol Street Bookstore --- Board the train to Mohe (Overnight on train)

Day 4: Arrive in Mohe in the morning --- Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves --- Birch Forest --- 28th Station Bridge --- First Bend of Heilongjiang --- Wusuli Shoal --- Beihong Village (Overnight at Beihong Village)

Day 5: Beihong Village --- Christmas Village Skiing --- Northernmost Outpost --- Arctic Sandbar --- Northernmost Home --- Northernmost Post Office --- Arctic Village (Overnight at Arctic Village)

Day 6: Arctic Village --- Ewenki Reindeer Tribe --- Li Jinyong Ancestral Hall --- Songyuan Primitive Forest Park --- North Star Square (Overnight at Mohe County Town)

Day 7: Stroll around Mohe County Town --- Return to Harbin (Overnight on train)

Day 8: Arrive in Harbin at noon --- Harbin Polarland --- Return to Ningbo

[Little Chatter]

After we returned to Ningbo from Northeast China, the most common question we heard was, "Was it cold?! Were you frozen?"

Let me answer seriously: It really wasn't as cold as we imagined. The magic attack of the south is much stronger than the physical attack of the north.

Before departure, we read lots of guides and bought many things, but in the end we either didn't use them or grew to dislike them. To save you from wasting money like we did, here's a list of gear (since I'm a girl, it's mainly for ladies):

[Clothing]

First, I am truly a girl who fears cold. In Ningbo, the lowest winter temperature is around -2°C, and I spend the whole winter with repeated colds. Before heading to the northeast, my cold hadn't healed, but it was gone by the time I returned! Before the trip, I checked the temperatures in Harbin and Daxing'anling every day. Seeing temperatures like -26°C or -27°C scared me, so I wore a lot of clothes (six tops! four pairs of pants!). Honestly, I didn't feel the slightest chill. Later, I tried removing a few layers and still didn't feel cold!

Tops: Thin thermal shirt --- Fleece-lined thermal shirt --- Turtleneck cashmere --- Thin down vest --- Fleece-lined hoodie --- Down jacket. In Mohe, I took off the down jacket and still wasn't cold, so you can definitely take off two layers.

Bottoms: Thin thermal leggings --- Thin fleece leggings --- Thermal leggings rated for -40°C --- Wide-leg pants. Even the pants were too many; just one pair of -40°C thermal leggings is enough!

A few more words about clothing: I believe many girls go to the northeast dreaming of taking beautiful snow portrait photos, so try to avoid ski suits, ski jackets, and ski pants. Since you'll be wearing many layers and might look bulky, choose a trendy long puffer jacket or a looser down jacket. For bottoms, after wearing thick pants, a long skirt can hide chunky thighs and show off slim ankles, or wide-leg pants can also help create a slimming effect. Color-wise, you can go with gentle colors like creamy white, cream yellow, or pink on the outer layer, paired with bright accessories (e.g., a red scarf with a creamy white jacket), or vice versa: a bright jacket with soft accessories. But avoid fluorescent colors! Since winter clothes are heavy, you probably won't bring many outfits. To change your look, bring more accessories like scarves and hats.

[Shoes and Socks]

A pair of wool socks plus regular snow boots is enough! You don't necessarily need waterproof and anti-slip hiking boots. Many worry about cold feet, but since you're mostly walking outside, your feet won't get cold. Indoors it's even hotter. Some worry that snow boots aren't waterproof or anti-slip. About anti-slip: ice can be a bit slippery, but usually snow is scattered on it. Just be careful to avoid bare ice and you'll be fine. About waterproof: The north is very dry. If snow gets on your shoes, just shake it off. The only thing to note is to clean off snow before entering a building, because melted snow can dampen shoes. If they get a little wet, it's fine — just let them dry indoors overnight.

[Scarf, Hat, Earmuffs, Mask]

1. Scarf: If you're wearing a turtleneck, a scarf isn't really necessary for warmth, but it's a great accessory for matching your outfit.

2. Hat & Earmuffs: The main function of a hat is to protect your forehead. If you don't have earmuffs, the hat should also cover your ears. But you don't need a Soviet-style fur hat! Er Niu specially bought one, but she only wore it for half an hour because it was too exaggerated, haha. Also, wearing that kind of hat makes your head look big and makes you look shorter. How to wear: A thin knit cap is enough, as long as it covers your forehead. For your ears, just wear earmuffs.

3. Mask: A mask is essential — you must wear a mask!!! The wind can make your face very cold. If exposed too long, your face might get stiff, which won't make for good photos. A mask also has a special effect: your eyelashes can freeze, which is fun!

[Gloves]

A pair of thick knit gloves is enough; nice-looking gloves can also serve as photo props. Again, remember to clean off snow after playing. No need to buy special skiing gloves — they're not pretty and not practical later.

[Warm Packs]

Hand warmers can be useful. We thought it would be extremely cold, so we brought 60 hand warmers in total, but we used less than half. Their main use wasn't for us but for electronic devices.

1. Camera: Before the trip, we read guides and worried about the battery, so we even bought a special cold-weather cover for the camera (cost over 100 RMB). But whether due to improper use or other reasons, the cover caused the camera to fog up easily, so we stopped using it. In extreme cold, the battery indeed drains faster, but if you prepare a spare battery and stick two hand warmers on the battery compartment, you can shoot from morning till night without issues. However, one thing to note: when entering a warm room from the cold, the camera can fog up. So prepare a plastic bag, put the camera inside (turned off) and place it in your backpack. Don't turn it on for a while, letting it acclimate naturally. Otherwise, the camera might get damaged.

2. Phone and Power Bank: Before the trip, we were most worried about our phones. Guides said iPhones would shut down as soon as they were taken out, which scared us. But we found that while the battery drains faster, if you put a hand warmer on the back of the phone, you can occasionally take short videos or check maps without problems. iPhones aren't as fragile as expected; rest assured. If you don't bring a camera and only use your phone for photos, a power bank is essential. Use it with a hand warmer like the phone.

[Pad]

A tablet is a must for travel because phones lose battery quickly in the northeast. So we avoid watching shows on phones. A tablet comes in handy, especially if, like us, you need to take trains between Harbin and Mohe. The journey is long, so having a complete Korean drama ready is important.

[Thermos]

The northeast is very cold, so bring a thermos for drinking water, otherwise, it will freeze.

[Toiletries]

Toiletries are important! Especially at the farmhouses in Mohe, they have nothing. So bring your toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, shampoo, body wash, comb, and hair dryer. We forgot our comb and didn't comb our hair for days o(╯□╰)o. Going to bed with wet hair after washing is a terrible feeling, especially when you wake up with messy hair.

[Skincare and Cosmetics]

The northeast is very dry, so bring more moisturizing products, like Clinique's oil-based butter. Depending on your itinerary, bring a few sheet masks. For girls who like taking photos, bring some cosmetics but keep it simple — after all, with a mask, hat, and earmuffs, not much of your face is visible, haha.

When carrying toiletries and skincare, you can't bring whole bottles — they're heavy and might exceed baggage limits. So buy some travel-size bottles or bags online beforehand.

[Enough Cash]

In the northeast, Alibaba's influence might not be that widespread. Many places don't accept Alipay, and very few accept WeChat Pay. So bring enough cash, or withdraw more cash after arriving in Harbin.

Those are all the essentials I think to bring. Basically, I don't recommend buying those expensive and impractical "disposable items."

Our total cost for this trip was 5,750 RMB per person. The table below has prices split equally. The biggest expense was still transportation, mainly airfare. If you avoid the Spring Festival holiday, saving 1,000–1,500 RMB is no problem.

1. Airfare: Once you decide on a destination, start monitoring airfares. Our tickets: Outbound: Ningbo --- Shenyang 690 RMB (no luggage included). Return: Harbin --- Beijing, Beijing --- Ningbo, 1745 RMB. Sometimes the same flight has different prices on different sites, so compare. We bought tickets on Ctrip. First enter an outbound date roughly, then click "View lowest price in 60 days" to see prices for more dates. Very convenient. I entered Ningbo direct to Harbin and saw tickets on February 11 (Lantern Festival) were already lower, with some under 300 RMB later. Return was similar, much cheaper.

2. Train: Mainly the Harbin-Mohe round trip — very hard to get! Normally, there is only one train a day from Harbin to Mohe, departing 17:55, arriving next morning 7:20. During Spring Festival, an extra train was added (18:57 – next morning 9:45). But whether one or two trains, tickets sell out in seconds! Sleeper berths are even harder to get than concert tickets for your idol. Even with ticket-snatching software and extra fees, you might not succeed. The return tickets from Mohe to Harbin (depart 14:09, arrive next morning 6:10 / depart 19:39, arrive next day 11:41) are even harder — a large portion is bought by local scalpers. So first check the booking time based on your itinerary, use snatching software, and try to grab tickets the moment they're released. If you miss the sleeper, quickly ask your hired driver in Mohe or the farmhouse landlady if they can help you get scalper tickets (only for return trips; outbound is impossible). If all else fails, you have to buy a hard seat early. As young people, we can survive a night in a hard seat. Our ticket-buying experience was bumpy: outbound only got hard seats; return we couldn't get initially, but luckily an extra train was added and we snatched hard sleepers! One more tip: queue up early at the ticket gate, get in early, and board early so you have space for luggage; otherwise, there might be nowhere to put it. We ran fast, quickly placed our luggage, leisurely took off a few layers — the train was scorching hot! It's best to remove some clothes at the station, otherwise, you won't sleep well. Once on board, you can try your luck in the sleeper car and ask if there are any vacant berths; you might get one.

3. Bus: From the airport to the train station, you can buy tickets at the counter; very cheap. There are airport buses near the train station: 20 RMB per person direct to Harbin Taiping International Airport.

4. Taxi: During Spring Festival, taking taxis is very expensive, and overcharging is common. You can choose Didi or buses.

5. Bus: Buses in Harbin are basically 1 RMB. From Central Street to Ice and Snow World, you can take bus 47. From Central Street to Harbin Polarland, also bus 47.

6. Mohe Car Charter: Since attractions in Mohe are far apart, usually you charter a car. Some ask if they can drive themselves — I don't recommend it because local drivers drive directly on icy roads, which is very slippery. Safety first! You can find many charter options on Ctrip, with similar prices. We booked on Ctrip. We chose 4 days 3 nights, including attraction entrance fees and accommodation but not meals: 780 RMB per person. Normally, choose a 3-day, 2-night package (adjust itinerary based on the return train departing around 2 PM, so you play for 2.5 days). We wanted more time for photos, so we asked for a looser schedule with 4 days 3 nights following the same route as the 3-day 2-night one. But during Spring Festival, there were many people and few cars, so we were inexplicably assigned to the same car as the 3-day 2-night group, wasting half of our last day. So I won't recommend our charter service here. When you charter, confirm the route with the company.

1. Harbin Accommodation: Try to stay near Central Street, which is the most convenient. We stayed at Haiyou Inn (Zhaolin Street branch) for a few nights at 198 RMB per night. This price near Central Street is quite good value. The rooms are small but have basic amenities and very hot heating. The only drawback is no comb!

Haiyou Inn

2. Mohe Accommodation: We stayed at Yuanju Inn in Beihong Village; in Arctic Village, we stayed at Sun Family Courtyard; in Mohe County, we stayed at Hongxin Holiday Hotel. Accommodation was included in the charter fee. Both Arctic Village and Beihong Village are farmhouse-style, with similar rooms. Generally clean with private bathrooms. But note: they don't provide toiletries; bring everything yourself.

About Food and Shopping

1. Harbin Food: In Harbin, we basically ate on Central Street. It has everything: snacks like Madier popsicles, grilled red sausage, grilled cold noodles, tanghulu. For meals, there are Dongfang Dumpling King, Laochang Spring Pancakes, and other popular restaurants, plus many Russian restaurants. But the shops on Central Street get very crowded. Avoid peak hours or take a number early.

2. Mohe Food: In Mohe, we usually ate at farmhouses. The food there is not as cheap, plentiful, and tasty as legend says. The portions are large, but it's expensive and not very good. We had an 8-person table including the driver and split the bill (7 people). Lunch was simpler, with 6 mostly vegetarian dishes costing 60 RMB per person; dinner was around 100 RMB per person. Some examples: Pork stew with vermicelli 68 RMB, chicken stew with mushrooms 180 RMB (not as tasty as the popular 'Braised Chicken Rice'), freshwater fish from Heilongjiang 180 RMB per catty! Be cautious when ordering: the expensive dishes aren't very good; the cheap vegetable dishes are better. Potatoes are definitely the best!

3. Shopping: Souvenirs mainly include Harbin red sausage, dried blueberries, and Russian chocolate. You can buy some to bring home.

One - First Impression of Harbin

Once winter arrives, the northeast becomes extremely popular, so airfare becomes very expensive! Especially during the 7-day Spring Festival holiday, prices are so high you want to cry. But there's no choice, as Er Niu doesn't have winter break. Our destination was Harbin and Mohe. Non-stop flights from Ningbo to Harbin were around 1200–1300 RMB, and return tickets were nearly 4000 RMB! So we chose to transfer both ways, which was bothersome but saved money. After returning from the northeast, I checked the airfares again — they were about half the price of the Spring Festival period. So if possible, avoid traveling during holidays.

Outbound, we chose a budget airline — Spring Airlines — Ningbo to Shenyang 690 RMB per person. Note that many Spring Airlines tickets don't include baggage or meals. You need to buy baggage on their website: 70 RMB for 10 kg; buying at the counter is more expensive.

Ningbo Lishe International Airport

Spring Airlines seems only to allow online check-in for flights departing from Shanghai. Annoyingly, Er Niu and I checked in together at the counter and were among the earliest, but we got separate seats! On the plane, we saw many others in the same situation; after exchanging back and forth, we still ended up separated. The only luck was sitting by the window.

Spring Airlines

I think the heating on the plane is set for the crew; it was so hot we could wear just a T-shirt. So before boarding, wear fewer inner layers, take off thick coats once on board. Don't worry about being cold in the northeast — airports there have changing rooms where you can add layers.

Spring Airlines

We arrived in Shenyang around 1 PM. Since we hadn't eaten lunch, we were starving. After picking up luggage, we immediately grabbed lunch at the airport. At Yonghe Dawang, we ordered a set meal for two: Secret Chicken Rice and Black Pepper Pork Chop Noodles, costing 71 RMB. Hunger probably made it taste great.

Shenyang Taoxian International Airport

After lunch, we had plenty of time. We found the airport bus, bought tickets to Shenyang North Station (15.5 RMB per person), which took about an hour. We arrived at Shenyang North Station around 2:40 PM. To account for possible flight delays, we had bought a high-speed train G781, 17:30 Shenyang North — Harbin West, second class seat 245 RMB per person. Harbin has two train stations: Harbin Station and Harbin West. Generally, T/K trains arrive at Harbin Station, while bullet trains and high-speed trains arrive at Harbin West. During the waiting time, we bought some snacks and watched two episodes of a show (*^__^*)

We arrived at Harbin West around 8 PM. On the evening of New Year's Day, there were very few taxis. Gaode showed the fare to Central Street should be about 20 RMB, but all taxis were asking 100 RMB; some would drop to 80 RMB. Even police officers nearby ignored it. I was furious, but as two young girls facing burly men, we had to accept it. The distance wasn't long; we soon arrived at our hotel. Took a comfortable bath and went to sleep.

Two - Let's Go Have Fun at Ice and Snow World

Since we had been traveling all day before, we were tired and didn't wake up early. Around 7:30 we slowly got up, slowly brushed our teeth and washed our faces. By 8:30, we had some leftover snacks as breakfast and headed out. The hotel was very close to the cathedral — a 2–3 minute walk. The exterior is very beautiful, but since our family is Buddhist, we didn't go inside. However, we took many photos outside. If you're interested, you can go in; tickets are cheap, 15 RMB.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

It's nearly impossible to take a photo with the cathedral's front without crowds because there are so many people from morning till night. If you don't want to blend in with tourists, you can do what we did: get closer to the camera and make the subject larger, so everyone knows the photo is of you!

Saint Sophia Cathedral

The side of the cathedral, in contrast to the front, is almost empty — a great place for photos!

Saint Sophia Cathedral

On the other side, you can feed fat pigeons! The feed is corn kernels, 10 RMB for 3 small bags, enough to feed for a while.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Look at Er Niu laughing uncontrollably — is feeding pigeons that fun? Haha~

Saint Sophia Cathedral

We played at the cathedral for a long time and also took two photos nearby before heading to Central Street.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Walking from the cathedral to Central Street takes about 15 minutes. Chatting along the way, the time passes quickly. Central Street is a straight pedestrian street, mainly for eating. During our time in Harbin, we had all our main meals here. On the street, there are many locals touting for business. They can tell tourists at a glance. At first, we were curious why they knew we were tourists. Later, we realized: only us outsiders wear so many clothes and are fully bundled up when we go out. Real locals wear very little — mostly low necks, no scarves, no gloves. These touts would shout, "Miss, wanna go to Snow Village? Yabuli skiing? Ice and Snow World? Free shuttle bus!" At first, we politely said "No thanks," but that didn't work. They kept pestering us. Later, we found a good trick: with a blank face, just say "Already been!" and then they'll leave you alone.

Central Street

Once on Central Street, we first had a Madier popsicle, 5 RMB per stick. I think it's the same as the "Northeast Big Board" popsicles we have back home — same taste.

Central Street

There are many Russian restaurants on Central Street, such as Huamei Western Restaurant and Portman Restaurant. We originally planned to go to Portman, but we were frozen silly on the street and couldn't remember the name "Portman," so we ended up at Huamei o(╯□╰)o. Huamei opens at 10:30 AM. Even if you plan to eat later, go early to take a number, then stroll around. They honor numbers from earlier even if you're late. If you go late, you might have to wait an hour.

To be honest, Huamei Western Restaurant was just okay. Too many tourists like us were drawn there, so the restaurant had made use of every available space, making it very noisy and lacking atmosphere o(╯□╰)o.

Huamei Western Restaurant

We ordered: a bread and jam set, two bowls of red cabbage soup, one pot-roasted beef, one pan-fried salmon, two fried prawns (one was 38 RMB?), a fruit salad, and some other things whose names I forgot. Total 229 RMB. Below is the whole spread (Er Niu's red cabbage soup wasn't in the photo). Not very much, but we couldn't finish it. Especially the sliced bread — we each had only one piece. So, girls with small appetites, be careful when ordering — don't waste.

The red cabbage soup was okay, similar to borscht.

The pot-roasted beef was the best value dish for me: a full pot of beef, could eat forever, and it tasted good.

The fried prawns, though expensive, were tasty.

The pan-fried salmon was just okay; I couldn't taste the fish.

The fruit salad was the least worthwhile dish — only apples, pears, and bananas, and the only cherry tomato was shriveled o(╯□╰)o.

The bread tasted like bread, haha. But the bread was cold, the butter was hard — how was I supposed to spread hard butter on cold bread?

After finishing our Russian meal on Central Street and resting a bit, we prepared to head to Ice and Snow World. Here are some tips about Ice and Snow World:

1. Ticket price: full price 330 RMB, student ticket 200 RMB (reportedly very strict checks). Online ticket 310 RMB, available on Ctrip and similar apps (must purchase 2 hours in advance). You can enter with a scan of your ID.

2. How to get there: After last night's taxi experience, I was afraid of taking taxis in Harbin o(╯□╰)o — afraid they'd ask for another 100 RMB. I couldn't afford that. Near Central Street, there is a direct bus to Ice and Snow World: bus 47, only 1 RMB. You can ask shop clerks about the exact location of the bus stop, or use Gaode Maps — very convenient.

3. What time to go: Many people go to Ice and Snow World at night. That's a big mistake! At night, it's very crowded, you can't play on the rides, and photos come out dark — you can't even see your face! So go in the afternoon. First, play on the amusement rides and take photos. Around 4:30 PM, the sun goes down, ice sculptures' lights come on — that's when it's most beautiful. Then wait for darkness, take night photos, watch a show, and when the crowds surge in, you can leave easily and go have dinner. There are restaurants inside, but they are expensive. Many guides say you have to buy something to stay warm — but in reality, every warm room is packed; you can't buy anything or find a seat. We kept jumping around, so we didn't want to go inside. But if you go at night, it's much colder, there are more people, and your chance of sitting in a warm room is even smaller. So better to go in the afternoon, haha.

4. Should you buy sled boards or shoe spikes? Where? The sled board (the thing I'm holding in the photo below) is placed under your butt on the slides; otherwise, you won't slide down! Before going, we read guides saying sled boards were not allowed in Ice and Snow World, so we didn't buy one at the entrance. But once inside, we realized you can't play without one. So I spent 20 RMB inside. However, vendors at the entrance sell them for 5 RMB each (various types; the cheapest is 5 RMB). So definitely buy one at the entrance! Shoe spikes, to prevent slipping — I don't think they're necessary; just be careful. The park's anti-slip measures are adequate.

After entering, we went to the amusement area. All rides are included in the ticket, unlimited rides. We played all afternoon! Ice bicycles require some skill: you have to start moving the bike first and then pedal; otherwise, no matter how hard you pedal, the bike won't move. Once you get the hang of it, it's really fun. We rode many times.

Ice and Snow World

There are also these rides where you push poles to make the mount move (specific name unknown o(╯□╰)o). The mounts come in different sizes. The big one below — I pushed for a long time and couldn't move it because it was too heavy! But I was persistent and tried many times, sweating profusely!

Ice and Snow World

The small ones are easier — like a fish in water. But it's hard to keep balance, and you might flip over, haha.

Ice and Snow World

After getting tired, we wandered around the park, kicking snow, jumping around, and taking some photos. Time passed quickly.

Ice and Snow World

We only bought the sled board after we were tired of the rides. It would be a shame to come all the way and not slide. First, we tried on the large circular snow field — we got addicted immediately and couldn't stop! Da Niu went first: whoosh whoosh.

Ice and Snow World

Er Niu's turn: whoosh whoosh — almost flipped over, haha!

Ice and Snow World

Then we went on various small slides. The small slides are fast and don't require much queuing, so we didn't go on the big slide.

Ice and Snow World

Soon, the sky began to darken. The sunset shining on the ice sculptures was very beautiful.

Ice and Snow World

Then, when it got darker and the lights came on, it was even more beautiful! Er Niu, who had been saying the night view of Ice and Snow World was ugly, changed her tune and said it was beautiful!

Ice and Snow World

After seeing the night view, we were about to leave when we discovered an indoor amusement park. We went in briefly — not many rides, but the decoration was cute, worth a look.

Ice and Snow World

After the indoor park, we exited. You can also watch a few shows before leaving, but we didn't, probably because we were eager to eat. Outside, there was a bus 47 waiting: 2 RMB per person, non-stop directly to Central Street! We ate dinner at a commercial complex on Central Street. The restaurant claimed to be from Singapore, but it was just a malatang (spicy hot pot). This big bowl, 59 RMB, was a bit much for two people.

Central Street

Then we walked Central Street again. The night view is indeed much more beautiful than daytime.

Central Street

At the end of the street, we took two photos, and the day was pretty much over.

Three - Crossing the Songhua River to See a Russian Town

Maybe we played too hard the day before; we woke up even later. We dawdled until 8 AM to get up and got out until 9 AM. After checking out and leaving luggage at the hotel, we headed to Central Street again. On Central Street, we bought Harbin grilled red sausage for breakfast — 10 RMB each, tasty.

Central Street

Walking through the straight Central Street, at the end is the Flood Control Memorial, and then the Songhua River. On the Songhua River, there are many amusement activities, mostly 10 or 20 RMB per ride, quite cheap. If you didn't go to Ice and Snow World, you can have fun on the Songhua River for half a day. Some people say it's better to go to the Songhua River instead of Ice and Snow World because Ice and Snow World is expensive. I think each has pros and cons. The Songhua River has many cheap rides, great value. But on the open river, the wind is really strong. Even fully bundled, it's extremely cold. Er Niu and I agreed that the Songhua River was colder than Mohe! So the people playing on the Songhua River are warriors! In Ice and Snow World, because of the tall ice sculptures, there's hardly any wind. Although the temperature is low, if you wear enough and keep jumping, you won't feel cold. You can also play many rides and see beautiful ice sculptures. Though the ticket is expensive, I think it's worth it. That's just my personal opinion; it's up to you.

Because the wind on the Songhua River was so strong, both we and the camera quickly froze. We took just a few photos and hurried across the river, not wanting to stay a minute longer.

Songhua River

After crossing the river, we sat in a small pavilion to recover for a long time. What a relief to be out of the wind!

Then we went to Russian Town. Note: You can buy a combo ticket for Russian Town and the Songhua River cable car! Separate tickets: Town 20 RMB + one-way cable car 50 RMB = 70 RMB / Town 20 RMB + round-trip cable car 80 RMB = 100 RMB. Combo price: Town + one-way cable car = 65 RMB / Town + round-trip = 95 RMB. Online tickets are even cheaper, such as one-way combo for 57 RMB. But you need to purchase half an hour in advance. No student discounts, but teachers, military, and disabled people can get discounts with ID. Regret not bringing my teacher's ID, regret not buying a combo ticket — we were such fools o(╯□╰)o.

Russian Town

After taking commemorative photos at the entrance, we bought tickets and entered. The tickets were cute little passports for stamping. You can collect stamps at various pavilions inside. But each pavilion is basically a souvenir shop, so there's not much to see inside.

Russian Town

There are many cute Russian cartoon statues in the park. Taking photos with them could take an hour. But if you just glance, you can walk through the whole park in 20 minutes.

Russian Town

Although the pavilions are souvenir shops, the little houses themselves are quite nice.

Russian Town

I wanted to buy a matryoshka doll as a souvenir, but a simple set costs nearly 200 RMB — I couldn't bring myself to buy it o(╯□╰)o.

Russian Town

Can't afford a doll, so I took a photo with one.

Russian Town

A huge matryoshka sculpture, but the face doesn't seem right.

Russian Town

Er Niu imitating the pose of a figurine, turning into a Russian girl.

Russian Town

I pretended to catch water pouring from a goddess statue, haha.

Russian Town

There are many little dwarfs on the railing, so I took the chance to be Snow White.

Russian Town

If you're tired of posing with figurines, taking photos with the little houses is also nice.

Russian Town

Because we were hungry, we quickly bought one-way cable car tickets to get back for lunch!

Having experienced nearly being blown away on the river ice, sitting on the cable car, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the view felt wonderful. However, I still recommend buying only a one-way combo ticket, because I think it's essential to experience crossing the Songhua River on foot (by walking across the ice).

Songhua River

Back on Central Street, we were ravenous. Originally, we wanted to eat at Dongbei Dumpling King or Laochang Spring Pancakes, but every place was packed, and we couldn't wait. So we went to Old Wang's Smoked & Pickled Dumplings. It was also crowded, but still manageable. We ordered a plate of char siu (barbecued pork), a plate of three-fresh dumplings (pork and vegetables), and two cans of cola, total 68 RMB. The char siu was good; the dumplings were huge but average in taste. Two plates were enough for two people. Girls, don't try to order one plate each — you won't finish it!

Central Street

After eating, it was only 1 PM. We had planned to spend the whole day at Songhua River and Russian Town, but now we had half a day extra. So we went to Gogol Street to visit the so-called most beautiful bookstore — Gogol Street Bookstore. We took a bus again (1 RMB). When we arrived at Gogol Street, it was very quiet — probably because everyone was celebrating the New Year.

Gogol Street Bookstore is not very conspicuous or large, but its interior decoration is warm and beautiful. Since we had no plans for the afternoon, we stayed inside to read for a while. We're probably the only ones who go to a bookstore while traveling!

Gogol Street Bookstore

The bookstore also has a photo frame for tourists. Before leaving, we each took a photo.

Gogol Street Bookstore

Then we leisurely took a bus back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and called a Didi to the train station. It's not easy to get a Didi in Harbin — only 1.7x or 1.8x surge pricing available. After arriving at the station, we bought a bunch of snacks from the station convenience store to eat on the train.

Harbin Railway Station

On the train, service staff came around selling popsicles, 2 RMB each — everyone was grabbing them, haha. The train was so hot! After taking off a few layers, we weren't too warm, but our feet were really hot. Here's a tip: hotels often provide disposable slippers; take them when you check out and wear them on the train. Otherwise, your feet will swell after a night. Since we had hard seats, we dozed on and off all night — quite an experience.

Four - Disheveled First Day in Mohe

We arrived in Mohe exactly at 7:20 AM. Since the train carriage had no water, we couldn't brush our teeth or wash our faces before getting off. We hadn't slept well all night, so we looked tired and had no energy. But as soon as we stepped off the train and saw the white expanse and light snowfall, we were instantly revived! As we exited, our driver was waiting outside. After picking up all the people from our charter group, we first went to their company to assign vehicles, then set off to play.

First attraction — Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves. Climbing to the top of the tower and looking into the distance was truly beautiful!

Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves

While taking photos, a train happened to pass by — we were so lucky! We captured a snow-country train!

Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves

When taking commemorative photos, we realized how ugly we looked today! Little fairies, don't give up on yourselves after the train ride, or your photos will be terrible!

Nine Bends and Eighteen Curves

Second attraction — Birch Forest. We were only given 15 minutes to play, so it was like a battle: rush down, quickly take photos, and rush back up!

Er Niu with a red scarf — doesn't she look like the heroine from "Love Letter"? Haha.

Birch Forest

Since I couldn't be the heroine, I just acted cute. With such a short time, you can't come up with poses on the spot. Doing homework by looking at other people's snow portraits beforehand is a good way to increase your photo yield. Many of my poses were copied from others!

Birch Forest

Third attraction — 28th Station Bridge. At that time, the sky became very blue — any photo turned out beautiful.

28th Station Bridge

But there wasn't much scenery on the bridge, so ... jump?

My pose was not ladylike at all.

Since our driver drove faster than the other car, we had to wait a while for the second car. We played in the snow during the break.

Then we went to eat. The restaurant was near the First Bend of Heilongjiang. According to previous guides, northeastern food is cheap, plentiful, and delicious. I think I had fake northeastern food. During our days in Mohe, we ate at farmhouses almost every day, but the food was expensive and not to our taste. At a large table with 8 people including the driver, we split the bill 7 ways. Lunch was simpler, six mostly vegetarian dishes costing 60 RMB per person; dinner was around 100 RMB per person. Examples: pork stew with vermicelli 68 RMB, chicken stew with mushrooms 180 RMB (not as tasty as the popular Braised Chicken Rice), freshwater fish from Heilongjiang 180 RMB per catty! Be careful when ordering: expensive dishes aren't good; cheap vegetable dishes are better. Potatoes are definitely the best! After lunch, we went to the fourth attraction — First Bend of Heilongjiang.

First Bend of Heilongjiang

To see beautiful scenery, you need to climb a long boardwalk. It takes about half an hour. Some parts are steep, so watch your step!

First Bend of Heilongjiang

On the way up, we saw a wooden sign saying "Step by step promotion" and quickly took a photo.

First Bend of Heilongjiang

As we climbed, the First Bend gradually became more complete in front of us. Don't give up — make sure to reach the highest point!

First Bend of Heilongjiang

It was a bit windy at the top. With the mask on, our eyelashes slowly froze.

First Bend of Heilongjiang

Coming down, my legs were a bit weak — probably because I don't exercise much. Going up is easier than coming down; hold onto the handrails carefully.

First Bend of Heilongjiang

After descending, we went to the fifth attraction — Wusuli Shoal. The purpose was to take a photo at the "China's Northernmost Point" marker. But it was crowded from morning till night, and some people even took off their clothes, expecting others to clear the way regardless of queue order. I don't understand that logic. After waiting 15 minutes without getting a photo, I hope everyone lines up properly; don't shout for space just because you took off your clothes.

Wusuli Shoal

After a long wait, it was too windy and cold to keep waiting, so I just took a photo of someone else.

The latitude and longitude monument had no one around, so I took a photo with it as second best — at least it proves I've been to the northernmost point!

Then we went to Beihong Village and checked into Yuanju Inn. As Mohe gets more popular, every household in Beihong Village and Arctic Village runs a farm stay. The rooms are fairly clean with private bathrooms. Again, no toiletries are provided — bring your own. Especially girls: bring a comb and hair dryer!

After checking in, the sky gradually darkened. At that time, Beihong Village was very beautiful, like ink wash paintings.

Beihong Village

Then we took the complimentary horse-drawn sleigh ride. You just sit and get pulled around — not very interesting. Would rather ride a horse directly, haha.

Beihong Village

This was our dinner that night: just these five dishes, a few bottles of blueberry juice, and a few beers, totaling 672 RMB. From top to bottom: scrambled eggs with wood ear fungus, pork stew with vermicelli, spicy and sour shredded potatoes, chicken stew with mushrooms, and harvest platter. I think the wood ear egg dish was the best; the rest wasn't very good.

Beihong Village

After dinner, there was a bonfire party. We joined for five minutes and then went to watch the stars.

Beihong Village

I had never seen so many stars in my life. Looking up, the sky was full of stars! And it felt so close, as if I could reach out and touch them. The photo below was taken by a fellow traveler with a fisheye lens — absolutely stunning!

With the stars and moon, our first day in Mohe came to an end.

Five - Memories Are a Postcard from the Northernmost Post Office

The weather that day wasn't great, a bit overcast. After breakfast at the inn (10 RMB per person), we set off around 8:30 AM and arrived at Christmas Village around 10 AM. Skiing at Christmas Village is not included in the charter fee; it's an extra cost, 120 RMB per 2 hours. Since it's a carpool, some might want to ski; if you don't, you'll waste the whole morning. So don't be stingy with the 120 RMB, and don't be afraid if you've never skied before. Neither Er Niu nor I had skied, but we were oddly confident we could do it, haha. And indeed, skiing is quite simple. I fell only once and was fine after that. Falling doesn't hurt at all. Even if you fall many times, it's okay — Er Niu fell three times, haha!

Arctic Christmas Village

During the ski, I sent a short video to my dad, who praised me as a skiing prodigy, haha.

When I filmed Er Niu, she was skiing well, and an uncle praised her: "You're skiing so well!" But then she fell again, haha.

After getting tired, we posed for a few shots.

Arctic Christmas Village

Look at my stance — isn't it stylish? Haha.

Arctic Christmas Village

After finishing, we first went to Arctic Village and checked into Sun Family Courtyard. We had lunch there too. Compared to yesterday's food, though equally expensive, it was much better. After lunch, we set off again around 1 PM, mainly visiting attractions near Arctic Village. Today's second attraction: the Northernmost Outpost. Got off, took a photo, and left.

China's Northernmost Outpost

Third attraction of the day: Arctic Sandbar. It's like a large park with nice scenery. We spent most of the afternoon there. White snow and distant mountains.

Arctic Sandbar

White snow, branches, and a little house.

Arctic Sandbar

The wind was also strong that day, so the mask stayed on.

Arctic Sandbar

Occasionally there was a lone tree — a great photo spot.

I regretted wearing this pink hat that day. I thought it would look cute, but in every photo I looked like a poached egg!

Strolling in the vast snowy fields, if I didn't know this was an attraction, I might have gotten lost.

Arctic Sandbar

Inside Arctic Sandbar, there's also a stone tablet inscribed with "I found the north!" It's an internet-famous stone; everyone wants a photo with it.

Arctic Sandbar

Further ahead, near the Seven Star Altar, there was a playground with swings and seesaws.

Look at my seductive pose — having a close encounter with a polar bear, haha.

The sun was about to set. Although it was cloudy all day, there was some golden light behind the mountains.

Arctic Sandbar

Leaving Arctic Sandbar, we saw the Northernmost Home.

Then we drove to the Arctic Village monument. Next to it was an ice sculpture cabin with a small window that looked cute for photos. But the ice was slippery inside; be careful entering.

Arctic Village

Finally, we went to the Northernmost Post Office. At the post office, you can print your own photos as postcards! First go to the counter and buy a printing code (10 RMB each, one code for one photo). Then go to the printing area, follow the WeChat official account prompts to upload your photo. Then you can stamp with ink (fill the whole card for 10 RMB). You can also buy a set of Mohe scenery postcards (60 RMB per set). But whether printed or bought, it's not recommended to mail them from there — reportedly they rarely arrive. It's better to take them home as souvenirs.

Since we only had one group photo from inside the ice cabin, we printed that one.

Northernmost Post Office

After a full circuit, we returned to the farmhouse for dinner and rested early.

Six - Saying Hello to the Little Deer in the Reindeer Village

Before going to sleep, we checked the weather for the next day — it was forecast to be sunny. So we woke up early (not very early — sunrise in Mohe is around 7:30 AM) to watch the sunrise. When we got up, the sky was still a bit dark but already tinged with red.

While waiting for sunrise, we strolled around the village and found the early morning village quiet and beautiful.

This is the view from our stay at Sun Family Courtyard — absolutely stunning.

Arctic Village

Smoke rising from chimneys everywhere, like a fairyland.

Arctic Village

The sky grew brighter, and finally, the sunrise came!

Arctic Village

Since there was still time before breakfast, we tried the "throwing boiling water into ice" trick. But the temperature wasn't very low during our days in Mohe, so the effect was mediocre — couldn't make a full circle. There are some tricks: the temperature needs to be low (best in early morning), the cup's opening should be small, and you need to throw quickly!

After breakfast, we set off to the Ewenki Reindeer Tribe — so excited! We could feed the deer! You can buy feed at the service counter, but we didn't realize that until we entered, so we missed out. The deer have very sensitive noses — if you have feed in your hand, they'll chase you. Without feed, they basically ignore you. The deer are very gentle, not aggressive. You can safely approach them and gently pet their backs. But if they don't want to be bothered, don't force them, otherwise, you might get hurt.

Ewenki Reindeer Tribe

When we entered, we saw several deer eating feed and rushed to take photos. But just after Er Niu's photos, when it was my turn, the deer walked away. Left with just one deer — I felt so sad.

Ewenki Reindeer Tribe

From the photos, you can see some deer are healthy with beautiful antlers, while others have no antlers and walk with a limp — looking a bit pitiful. The limping deer usually don't compete for food and stay in corners. After discovering them, we spent most of our time playing with them. A child shared some deer feed with us, and we gave it all to the sick deer.

Ewenki Reindeer Tribe

After feeding the deer, we hurried to Li Jinyong Ancestral Hall. It was just a few steps up. Since we weren't very interested in ancestral halls, we took a couple of photos and left.

Li Jinyong Ancestral Hall

On the way down, we noticed the roadside scenery was more beautiful!

Li Jinyong Ancestral Hall

Finally, we went to Songyuan Primitive Forest Park. Probably tired, we didn't do much.

Songyuan Primitive Forest Park

And that was the end of the charter route. We all had lunch together for the last time. We went to a halal lamb hotpot place — tasty but cost over 120 RMB per person. Then we went back to the charter company, rested a bit, and they arranged our accommodation for the night at Hongxin Holiday Hotel. Those who needed to catch the train were taken to the station. Everyone went their separate ways. After tidying up at the hotel, we decided to stroll around Mohe County Town. We walked and came to Mohe's landmark — North Star Square.

It's said that after climbing the steps, you can see the entire Mohe County.

North Star Square isn't very big. In winter, it's like a small ice sculpture amusement park with various ice sculptures and slides. Since we had already been to Ice and Snow World, we weren't very interested. Passing through North Star Square, there's a small village behind. During the New Year, it seemed deserted. The large open land in front had accumulated a lot of snow, so we played there all afternoon and took many snow portrait photos. Snow portraits are relatively easy: first find a good spot and adjust lighting. Then repeat poses you learned online — like blowing snow, throwing snowballs, lying in the snow, waving, blinking, or just sitting there. Take many shots, control your expression, and you'll definitely get many good ones. We took a long-overdue group photo — probably our favorite from the trip.

That day was really sunny with not too low temperatures, almost like the snow was melting. Scooping up a handful of snow, it melted quickly in my palm.

Mohe

Because the snow melted so fast in our hands, our hands were really cold! Wear gloves when playing with snow!

When lying in the snow, if the weather is warm, wear a hat to keep your hair dry and avoid catching a cold.

Mohe

Haha, I don't know what I was pointing at — probably a plane passing by.

Er Niu insisted on sitting on a small mound and gave me a very proud expression.

After playing in the snow, we wandered around the county town. There were many small food shops with cheap and tasty food. We also went to a small supermarket, bought lots of snacks, and returned to the hotel.

Seven - Leisurely Watching a Sunset in Mohe

The last day in Mohe was probably the most boring — we had no itinerary at all. Optimistically, we treated it as a rest day. We woke up very late, watched Korean dramas in the hotel, and ate the breakfast we bought last night. Since we had another train to catch that evening and didn't want to remove makeup at the station, we didn't wear any makeup at all. Then we lazily went out, checked out, stored our luggage, and planned to randomly explore Mohe County. We ended up at North Star Square again — since we had nothing to do, we went up again.

North Star Square

Watched some kids playing on slides, then went back to the small village we visited yesterday and played in the snow again.

Look at me seriously building a heart shape in the snow.