Ice House, Iron Pot Stew, Ice and Snow World: Let's Have Fun in the Cool Ice City and Experience the Charm of the Snow Country

You enjoy spring-like warmth in the sunny south, while I experience heavy snowfall in the cold northern nights. A child from the south finally has the chance to feel the charm of the snow-covered land. The trip to Harbin let me fully experience the splendor of the snow country. If you miss Harbin in winter, you miss the most fun season of all.

Preparation before departure:

Upper body: sweater, down jacket/ski suit

Lower body: thick pants, down pants

Accessories: hat, scarf, mask, gloves

Snow boots / thick martin boots

Others: hand warmers (must-have, stick on neck, shoes, waist), thermos

Large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors; camera and phone lenses and bodies are prone to fogging and condensation, so protect your camera.

Before coming to Harbin, I checked the weather and knew we would encounter snowfall. I was especially excited. Wrapping ourselves up like zongzi couldn't stop our unrestrained hearts. This time we specially chose to stay at the Harbin Shangri-La Hotel and the Songbei Shangri-La Hotel. The two hotels, facing each other across a river, have completely different characteristics. The hotel also arranged two cute mascots to accompany us during our stay.

There were also special Northeastern paper-cutting classes, candied hawthorn sticks, and stir-fried dried goods to satisfy our foodie cravings.

Harbin Shangri-La has created themed family rooms that are rare even nationwide. As soon as I entered the room, I was captivated by the colorful decor. I also wished to become a child and stay in a fairy-tale kingdom. Who hasn't had a childhood dream? This place fulfills all your imagination of childlike fun.

Various themed family rooms cater to children's different needs.

Harbin Shangri-La also has a room with children's activity facilities, fully equipped with baby and toddler gear to help new parents tackle various challenges. This is almost unprecedented in the hotel industry. In addition to services for infants and toddlers, it also offers free self-service laundry and allows you to cook simple ingredients.

Similarly, the Songbei Shangri-La Hotel is no less impressive. Across the river from Harbin Shangri-La, warm sunlight pours into the room. Outside, it's a world of ice and snow, but the room is incredibly warm.

Besides guest rooms, there are also apartment-style rentals, and family rooms are fully available to meet different customer needs.

Northeastern cuisine is known for its boldness and generosity, with iron pot stew being the best representative. A large iron pot simmers various delicious ingredients, with dough sticks stuck to the pot wall. The whole family gathers around to share the meal, chatting and bonding. This dining style brings people closer together, which is how the straightforwardness of Northeastern people develops. This time, at Shang Palace [Chinese Restaurant] in Harbin Shangri-La, the iron pot stew dishes included Northeastern fish head Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, fresh matsutake and fish maw with free-range chicken, and braised beans and potatoes with rice, among others, all bursting with wok hei. The fish used was fathead or three-scaled carp, and the stew filled the entire room with aroma. The taste was not only rich in soy sauce fragrance but also full of fishy freshness. With a sense of ceremony and generous ingredients, the iron pot stew opened a new world for me. It's not easy to have such a meal in Guangzhou. Shang Palace truly showed its sincerity, which is also the enthusiasm of Northeastern people.

Take a look at our wonderful menu.

Experience the traditional snow house and special ice-boiled lamb hotpot. I used to watch TV shows about ice bar and ice hotels abroad, but having hotpot in a snow house was a first in my life.

The snow house is decorated with Northeastern elements, making it feel like celebrating the New Year. It can accommodate dozens of people seated at long tables, each spot steaming with a dedicated small hotpot. Such a scene can only be experienced at the Songbei Shangri-La Hotel. It's a unique combination of ice and fire: wearing a coat indoors while enjoying steaming hot food. The fresh experience is incomparable.

Special sauerkraut balls.

Special ice-boiled lamb, my favorite. The lamb is very flavorful.

Northeastern-style dumplings.

In addition to the traditional annual ice house and snow house hotpot recommendation, Songbei Shangri-La also has the special Xiangchu kitchen, where every dish is a Northeastern specialty.

Must-visit attractions in Harbin: Saint Sophia Cathedral Square, Central Street, Flood Control Memorial Tower, Ice and Snow World.

Saint Sophia Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church built in Byzantine style in 1907, a landmark of Harbin.

Central Street is filled with a festive winter atmosphere. This long street was built in 1900, with 71 buildings encompassing various architectural styles such as Renaissance and Baroque.

In winter, you can't miss Modern ice cream popsicles. Only in the north can you experience the sight of selling popsicles in plastic bags. This is a specialty cold treat on Central Street in Harbin. The characteristics of Modern ice cream popsicles: 'Sweet but not greasy, icy with fragrance.' When you come to Harbin, regardless of the season, you must have a Modern ice cream popsicle.

Old Daowai, a favorite filming location for movies and TV shows, is one of the souls of Harbin. Because of its Baroque flavor, it is deeply loved by the public. It's a food hub with century-old establishments. You can randomly pick one and rarely go wrong. Li's Smoked Sauce Sandpot Restaurant, Old Lady's BBQ, etc. Drink Harbin beer heartily, eat large plates of meat, and chat about life—that's the scene.

Harbin Binzhou Railway Bridge is the earliest railway bridge over the Songhua River and the first cross-river bridge in Harbin, with a history of 113 years. In spring, you can enjoy the mighty Songhua River; in winter, it becomes a holy site for ice activities and photo taking. You can experience various ice sports on the Songhua River.

Sun Island Snow Expo was still under construction when we went, but it looked magnificent.

Experience the Northeastern giant slide straight out of textbooks.

Finally, I had been looking forward to the Ice and Snow World. From the room at Songbei Shangri-La Hotel, I could see it lit up colorful, full of anticipation. Finally, I came to check in. This is a beautiful scenery exclusive to the northern country.

I am especially grateful for this Northeastern trip, which marked a perfect end to my journey across China's map. After many years, returning to the Northeast, I experienced a different kind of snow country sentiment, a charm hard to find in the south. Thank you to Shangri-La Hotel for making this ice-and-fire trip possible. I experienced not only the coolest northern scenery but also the most delicious Northeastern specialties. I will definitely come again.