A Winter Trip with My Bestie: Embarking on a Mysterious Mohe Journey to Find the North

📍 Harbin · 👁 4855 reads · ❤️ 31 likes

One day in January 2018, just after finishing a phase of work, my bestie and I both had some time off, so we planned a leisurely winter trip together. As a southerner, I first considered destinations like Vietnam and Cambodia, which offer visa-on-arrival, but unfortunately my bestie’s passport had expired, so we had to drop that idea. Our second choice was to go to the northeast for some snow play. Since many negative reports about the Snow Town were circulating at the time, I decided to skip the classic Harbin itinerary and take a different route. Harbin was a must-visit, so I searched online and found a mysterious Arctic Village near the Russian border, at the northernmost point of China’s map. It also offered the allure of the rare aurora borealis (northern lights) while fulfilling our wish to play in the snow. So we immediately settled on this trip: a snow-play and north-seeking adventure in mysterious Mohe. We also reduced our time in Harbin, keeping only the classic activities: strolling, sightseeing, visiting the Songhua River, and Sun Island. After all, the Harbin bridges at night and the beautiful Sun Island mentioned in songs are deeply ingrained in people's hearts, so we still wanted to experience them.

Once the direction was set, I began planning the itinerary. Due to work reasons, I hadn’t taken a long vacation in two and a half years, so you can imagine how eager I was to break free. If I couldn’t find a travel companion, I would have gone alone. Fortunately, my bestie was also interested, and I can’t describe how thrilled I was. So I searched online for detailed travel guides. With seven days off, we allocated four days to Mohe, one and a half days to Harbin, and one and a half days for travel time. After finalizing the itinerary, I booked flights and accommodation, and checked the local weather and clothing preparations. I’m grateful to my bestie for trusting me to handle everything, which allowed me to arrange it all in just one day. From planning on Thursday to preparing our belongings, we set off on Sunday morning.

1. Strongly recommend bringing a camera and extra batteries. iPhones lose power quickly; other phone brands fare much better. Attaching hand warmers to the back of your phone can extend battery life. It’s best to buy a local phone case, which provides better cold protection.

2. Bring a pair of fingerless gloves to facilitate phone photography.

3. Two sets of thermal underwear for sweat absorption and changing. One pair of thick gloves, snow boots, a thick scarf, one thick down jacket with a hood (long style is best), one wool sweater, one pair of down pants (very useful for waterproofing, windproofing, and warmth), one pair of fleece-lined pants. One hat that covers the ears, five pairs of socks, at least one pair of thick wool socks. Insoles as needed.

4. Two cotton face masks, to replace when they get wet from breath. This is very important.

5. Personally, I think a pair of knee pads is very useful; hand warmers can also serve as an alternative.

6. A 24-inch suitcase plus a backpack is sufficient.

7. Cold-protection skincare and cosmetics, to take care of your skin in winter and look nice in photos. Sunglasses and sunscreen are not necessary, as the sun’s radiation is weak.

Other items: Bring one or two extra pretty scarves and colorful clothes for photo opportunities. Brave individuals can bring a swimsuit to challenge the extreme cold.

Detailed itinerary:

January 21: 14:25–22:50 XX to Harbin by plane. Arriving late, and needing to catch an early flight the day after tomorrow, we chose to stay at a hotel near the airport. This hotel had a five-star rating online and deserved praise. The price was reasonable, newly renovated, and a standard room cost only 280 RMB for two nights. Best of all, it included airport transfers and breakfast, with guest-first service. Truly five-star service, no exaggeration! I would love to stay here again. Right after I placed the order online, an employee called to confirm, including how to arrange airport pickup, which made me feel warm inside. The owner-like attitude of the staff made me think it was a family-run hotel, but I was wrong. This was also a warm and welcoming encounter! It immediately improved my impression of Harbin locals. The service included several trips to the city center and back, with airport shuttle connections. Absolutely commendable, so most of the guests here are repeat customers or referrals from friends.

January 22: Harbin city center

Transportation: From the hotel, take a bus to the airport; at the airport’s first floor, take Airport Express Line 3 to Zhongyang Street Station, about 1 hour.

Sightseeing: Mainly visited Zhongyang Street, Saint Sophia Cathedral, went shopping, visited Songhua River, Sun Island, Stalin Park, and Flood Control Monument. Shopping basically meant buying essential gear (snow boots, hand warmers, scarves, etc.). There are countless travelogues about these spots, so I won’t go into detail. It was truly delightful to walk on the frozen Songhua River, see the Songhua River Bridge and Sun Island. There were also many ice sculptures along Zhongyang Street. As we walked and enjoyed, my bestie and I were very disappointed: both fully charged iPhones, carefully stored in the inner layers of our coats, shut down after taking fewer than 10 photos—even faster than expected.

In the afternoon while sightseeing, we received a text from the Mohe driver who would pick us up. When I read the line, “When you’re here, feel as at home as if you were in your own house,” I felt particularly warm inside.

Recommend two good shopping spots: First, the Wanda Mall across from Songhua River, which has a full range of cold-weather gear at reasonable prices, plus casual dining. Second, the market across from Saint Sophia Cathedral, selling many Northeast dried goods and side dishes at good value.

January 23: Mohe—after lunch, view the city panorama—Beiji Square—Reindeer Park—Guanyin Mountain—Li ** Ancestral Temple—Beiji Village Square—stay in Beiji Village

Transportation: 1. 8:35–11:55 Harbin to Mohe by plane, with a 30-minute stop in Jiagedaqi. Actually, there is an overnight train to Mohe (departing in the evening, arriving in the morning), but sleeper tickets are tight. Travelers with fixed itineraries should book in advance to save transportation costs. Booking plane tickets early also offers good discounts. This small plane only carries a few dozen people, with no lunch provided. The flight attendants wore warm, long down airline uniforms, with fluffy white fur-trimmed hoods and delicate makeup, looking like “Zhaojun leaving the fortress.” However, the plane was a bit noisy—my bestie joked that we felt like we were riding in a fighter jet.

Tip: When the plane stops in Jiagedaqi, all passengers must take all their carry-on items and disembark. So you need to prepare and dress warmly in advance, as you will walk a short distance outdoors. The airport is small; as soon as the announcement ends, the plane stops, leaving little time to put on extra clothes. The two of us were even urged by the beautiful “Zhaojun” flight attendants.

2. For the entire four-day trip in Mohe, we entrusted it to Brother Suo’s company, which had high online ratings. It was Brother Suo’s wife who answered the phone. She warmly asked about our itinerary and ideas, then helped me arrange the route and quote. It turned out to be a very well-organized and mature travel company. In less than an hour, I finalized everything with her via WeChat: private car rental, accommodation, and itinerary in Mohe.

Sightseeing and car rental: The driver assigned by Brother Suo’s company was Master Li. My bestie, with sharp eyes, spotted a sign with my name on it—I didn’t notice it myself. Master Li warmly helped us with our luggage and got us into a very new white SUV that looked stylish. The thought of this beautiful car accompanying us for four days, with only the two of us in it, made me especially happy. It was much better than the small car I had imagined. Master Li was both handsome and kind, seeming very honest; soon my bestie and I became acquainted with him.

The entire Mohe itinerary basically followed a loop: Mohe—Beiji Village—Beihong Village—Mohe. Since we had one extra day compared to typical tourists, we specifically added a skiing activity. The ski resort was about 20 km from Beiji Village, so we stayed two nights in Beiji Village.

January 24: Mohe—after lunch, view the city panorama—Beiji Square—Reindeer Park—Guanyin Mountain—Li ** Ancestral Temple—Beiji Village Square—stay in Beiji Village