Winter Tour in Harbin: Experience a Different Ice and Snow Journey, with Food Guide

Escape for a weekend, temporarily leave your usual city, and enjoy a different history, culture, and cuisine in an unfamiliar place. Such a spontaneous short vacation is like a small buffer for your busy life, recharging your body and then reviving, finding a city to enjoy the weekend.

As 2020 draws to a close, I flew to the ice and snow city thousands of miles away, Harbin, known as 'China's coldest provincial capital,' and checked into the Shangri-La Hotel on the banks of the Songhua River. Within 72 hours, I visited Saint Sophia Cathedral, the European-style Central Street, watched snow sculptures at the Snow Expo, and had 'super authentic' Northeast hotpot in a snow house at minus 20 degrees Celsius... Now follow LeWanJun's perspective to review this trip.

Even the cold winter can't stop the urge to travel. After a 4-hour flight, approaching the destination, looking out the window, the land was all white, and the rivers were frozen. The snow-covered northern scenery truly matches the poem 'a thousand miles of ice, ten thousand miles of snow.' It was my first time in Harbin, and everything felt fresh. It was minus 19 degrees Celsius when I left the airport, but it was warmer than I expected. I booked the Shangri-La Hotel on the Songhua River, a 45-minute drive from the airport. After checking in and dropping off my luggage in the room, I immediately started exploring the ice city. The first spot was the Snow Expo. In Harbin, locals have two must-do winter activities: see the Snow Expo during the day and the Ice and Snow World at night. The Snow Expo is on Sun Island, a short 15-minute drive from the hotel.

At the Snow Expo, you can see and play. The sculptures are made from compressed snow blocks, then carved by artists. The largest snow sculpture this year is 'Chinese Divine Dragon.' When we entered on the 22nd, it wasn't finished yet, and dozens of snow sculptors were working intensely. Other snow sculptures were also abundant. Just at the entrance, there was a 'Divine Bull' sculpture, and the ticket gate entrance had a snow sculpture shaped like five copper coins, symbolizing wealth. The snow sculptures were mostly placed along both sides of the road, including works like 'Thermometer,' 'Snow Ushering in Spring,' 'Century Review,' and more. There were also interactive areas where you could ride on a tire down a snowy hill for speed and excitement.

Snow sculpture works: Fubao (Fortune Baby)

Snow sculpture work: Plum blossom fragrance comes from bitter cold

Snow sculpture work: Goldfish wagging tail

Snow sculpture work: Surplus year after year

Snow sculpture work: Ocean of music

Snow sculpture work: Festive lion

The main sculpture of the 2020 Snow Expo was a giant snow dragon representing the Chinese auspicious dragon. China has long been known as the Oriental Dragon, and Chinese people are called descendants of the dragon. The dragon is one of the most representative totems of the Chinese nation. In an aerial view, this snow dragon was very vividly carved, with its head held high, body robust and powerful, claws stretched wide, and tail lively and agile.

Craftsmen were carving them. All these snow sculptures are made by pressing snow into molds and then hand-carving. Each one requires dozens to hundreds of artisans and several days to complete.

Looking around, the works were mostly designed around people, incorporating abstract art, including the beauty of nature and human accumulation, truly worth seeing.

Harbin Snow Expo Tips:

Opening hours: 8:30-17:00

Address: Harbin Sun Island Snow Expo Scenic Area

Ticket: 130 yuan/person (Dec 20-Dec 31)

When I returned to the Shangri-La Hotel, it was completely dark. Unlike Guangzhou, where it gets dark later, in Harbin, it gets dark at 3:30 pm. Isn't that amazing?

The highway bridge on the Songhua River was brightly lit, and the blue glow on the right was the Ice and Snow World.

After a day of playing, a bit tired, the best way to relax in winter? Is just a hot bath not enough? Well, a hotel with complete food, drink, and entertainment facilities will surely let you pass this winter comfortably and leisurely.

I heard that the Shangri-La Hotel Harbin's Shang Palace has leading quality and service locally. This trip was specially arranged to experience it.

Shang Palace is the Chinese restaurant inside Harbin Shangri-La Hotel, decorated with a mix of modern fashion and Chinese elements.

The Shang Palace iron pot stew dinner featured authentic Northeast cuisine. The menu included: Big knife beef, sugar-glazed small tomatoes, spicy duck tongue, phoenix tail celery, potato shreds with Longjiang shrimp, salt and pepper gourd seed fish, pepper pig trotter stewed with soybeans, Northeast fish head Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, big goose stewed with Keshshan potatoes, small free-range chicken stewed with local hazel mushrooms, farmer's thousand vegetable big bowl meat, Shang Palace signature big bowl meat, soy-sauce stewed five-grain rice flower rice, frozen pear.

This fish head weighed over 4 catties; the chef said the fish itself was over 40 catties.

The iron pot stew dinner at Shang Palace was quite ceremonial. The dish was cooked on-site, with ingredients carried in by two chefs. Before entering the private room, they would strike a nearby brass gong.

Sea cucumber, very large.

This Northeast Buddha Jumps Over the Wall had rich ingredients, including abalone, fish head, and large sea prawns.

Here, the 'stupid chicken' (ben ji) is what Cantonese call free-range chicken. The eggs from stupid chickens are called 'stupid eggs' (ben dan), meaning free-range eggs.

Small free-range chicken stewed with local hazel mushrooms

Service was good; the waitstaff served everyone a bowl.

After dinner, I went to the lobby lounge and ordered a special 'Ice Lantern' cocktail, feeling quite relaxed.

Then back to the room to rest. If the window faces the river, you can overlook the beautiful Songhua River. My room was a Harbin city view room, elegant and well-equipped, quite refined.

Well-equipped, including humidifier, air purifier, etc. Cleanliness and maintenance were top-notch. The toilet was smart with a heated seat, which is very important for Harbin at minus 20 degrees Celsius.

On the table were complimentary fruits, including bananas and dragon fruit, tropical fresh fruits.

For families with children, I recommend their themed family suites. There are six types: jungle, treehouse, space, castle, ice and snow, and winter.

The photo above shows the space theme my son likes most. After checking in, you get an immersive experience, complete with a LEGO wall, very fun.

Jungle theme suite: The children's bed is designed like a treehouse, with a small wooden ladder to climb up, sparking children's exploratory spirit and imagination.

The ice and snow theme design is quite fitting; this kind of living enjoyment and sleeping space is creative.

On the 11th floor, there is a shared space for parent-child families. Using the room card to open the door, you can use facilities like a washing machine, dryer, etc.

There are also baby strollers, small toilets, very considerate.

Gym with a view of the Songhua River

The hotel offers guests warm local flavors and various activities. I participated in traditional hand-paper-cutting and other fun local activities, feeling the strong Northeast hospitality.

Local traditional craft experiences include Northeast paper-cutting, making sugar-coated hawthorn skewers, and grilling cold noodles. I tried Northeast paper-cutting; next year is the Year of the Ox, so I cut an ox.

Harbin has two Shangri-La hotels, one on each side of the Songhua River, facing each other across the river. Today I moved to Shangri-La Songbei, Harbin. The hotel's self-built snow house is themed with traditional Northeast features: red dried chili peppers, golden corn, and white snow on the roof added local flavor. Eating there felt very Northeast.

The snow house serves Inner Mongolia's specialty 'ice-boiled lamb,' cooking lamb with crystal clear ice cubes and broth, making it more delicious.

Enjoying a feast inside a snow house at minus 20°C, experiencing the strong contrast of ice and fire.

The hotpot was heated with charcoal, very Northeast style.

Steaming hotpot served on the table.

We were served with 'Northeast Maotai,' and our drinking cups were made of ice. I deliberately wore gloves so the cup wouldn't stick to my hand.

Lamb from Inner Mongolia, all parts were arranged in a platter, easy to identify.

Seafood platter included lobster, prawn skewers, deep-sea scallops, river crabs, fish, etc.

I specifically asked: Because Harbin's winter temperatures are often below minus 20 degrees, there were no fresh fruits in the old days; winter fruits were all frozen, like frozen pears, frozen persimmons, frozen hawthorns. So biting into a frozen pear released a lot of juice.

The snow house walls were carved from real snow, making the dining experience very special.

Making snowmen and having snowball fights are childhood memories for Northeast kids. In the ice city, experiencing ice and snow activities is a must. Shangri-La Songbei offers guests a variety of ice activities. 'Spilling water into ice' creates a fairyland scene, generating internet-famous photos.

At minus 20 degrees, simply toss hot water from a cup into the air, and it instantly turns to mist.

Putting a nose on a snowman we made, using a carrot.

The snowman I finished. Does it look good?

After making the snowman, I went back indoors to the Bounds Bar for a beer to warm up. The bar has an industrial design with many pig elements, quite cute.

I heard there is a live band at night.

My friend wanted coffee, so I accompanied her to the nearby Song Coffee all-day dining restaurant.

The Song Coffee buffet restaurant's design theme is 'birch forest,' offering all-day dining with Asian and Western specialties.

Recreational facilities are also good. In winter, if you don't want to go out, you can exercise in the gym, which offers a panoramic view of the Songhua River through floor-to-ceiling glass.

The indoor infinity pool is heated, very warm, making swimming in winter possible.

Sunset reflected in the water, very beautiful.

At night, I went out to visit Saint Sophia Cathedral. Shangri-La Songbei has an excellent location, just a 10-minute drive from famous attractions like the Flood Control Memorial Tower, century-old 'Central Street,' and Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Saint Sophia Cathedral is a Byzantine-style Russian building with a classic 'onion dome' on top, very distinctive. Built in 1932, it was once the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the Far East. It is a brick-and-wood Byzantine-style church, using Russian-style domes and Roman-style arched high windows, a combination of multiple architectural styles, typical of buildings not found in other Chinese cities.

The church looked beautiful at night under the lights.

Every angle is enchanting.

The window patterns on the outside of the church are also special.

Around the square, there are lamp posts with bronze statues, including ancient knights and modern soldiers.

Next, I visited Harbin's century-old street, Central Street, known as 'Oriental Little Paris.'

Walking along Central Street, you can feel the cultural memories sealed in every cobblestone. Central Street is the most representative beautiful street of Harbin. The buildings along the street feature Renaissance style from 15th-16th century Europe, 17th-century Baroque, 18th-century Eclecticism, and 19th-century Art Nouveau, covering the most influential architectural schools in Western history, encapsulating a century of essence. So, visiting Harbin without seeing Central Street is like not coming at all.

There are many ice sculptures on Central Street. Next year is the Year of the Ox, so I took a photo with an ox sculpture, hoping for good fortune next year.

The cobblestones on Central Street were designed and laid by Russian Komtrashock, each stone uniform, 18 cm long and 10 cm wide. Because they look like Russian small bread, locals call them bread stones. It is said this granite road originated from Russia's Arbat Street.

Along Central Street, besides Baroque revival buildings, classical revival buildings, and Russian revival buildings, you can also find Art Nouveau buildings. This one has a Japanese-style decorative exterior, probably housing a Japanese restaurant.

Over a hundred years have passed, and the old buildings are full of exotic charm.

Must-try in Harbin: Madiel ice cream bars.

After walking Central Street, it was 7 pm, just in time for dinner at the hotel. That evening, I tasted date wood roasted duck at the hotel's Shangchu Chinese restaurant. The clay pot dishes there are very special.

Shangchu Chinese restaurant is the hotel's flagship restaurant, specializing in Peking duck, clay pot dishes, and Northeast local cuisine. The decor boldly blends lilac purple and emerald green, elegant and generous.

Sugar-coated hawthorn skewers (bingtanghulu), very delicate.

The chef made Peking duck on the spot.

A very elaborate dish: the top was a tree branch made of pulled sugar.

Little rabbit made from Madiel ice cream bar.

Frozen persimmon, served in stylish vessel.

This time at Songbei, I stayed in a river-view room. Standing by the window, I could overlook the city skyline and Songhua River, and also see the magnificent Ice and Snow World.

Across the river, Harbin Songbei Shangri-La Hotel, with the Ice and Snow World at night shown in the picture.

The bathroom was spacious. After a day out, taking a hot bath was super comfortable.

The room also had exclusive amenities, including the hotel mascot little tiger 'Beibei' plush toy and throw pillows.

Apartment-style family suite.

The themed family suites are apartment-style, with dining room, bedroom, etc.

The room had twin beds, suitable for families with two children.

Toys in the bathroom for kids to play with water.

The hotel is closest to Harbin Siberian Tiger Park, just a 5-minute drive. Tiger Park is a 3A-level scenic area, established to save endangered Siberian tigers.

Even the road signs have cute little tiger indicators.

The tiger park is divided into walking areas and vehicle tour areas.

After wearing a mask, I boarded a bus with thick wire mesh protection.

The park is large, with wild training areas for the tigers.

There are many tigers. Visiting in winter, the tigers were on thick snow, which was more atmospheric.

Seeing us, the tigers approached the bus.

Siberian tigers have light yellow fur, dense long hair, thick fat under the skin, large and fierce. Among all tiger species, Siberian tigers are the most cold-resistant and the largest.

The scientific name of the Siberian tiger is Panthera tigris altaica. It is a cat family, felidae, the heaviest carnivorous cat in existence, king of the mountains.

Siberian tigers once ranged widely, from Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai to Chita Oblast. However, in modern times, Siberian tigers have been listed as key protected endangered species, with fewer than 20 wild ones in China.

Besides Siberian tigers, there is also an African lion zone. Lions inhabit African grasslands, so surviving in such a cold place (Northeast China) is quite impressive.

This lioness was enjoying her lunch.

Lunch: frozen chicken.

2020 is about to pass. Due to the pandemic, domestic travel is booming now. Plus, various airlines offer 'fly as you please' discount packages. This allows our weekend short trips to be spontaneous, using our feet to measure the vast land, our eyes to see the magnificent mountains and rivers, and feel the unexpected surprises brought by travel. Spend the weekend in a different way. Come to Harbin together for a short escape from daily life.