Snowy Ice City: A 5-Day Trip to Harbin and Mohe

I hide a rose behind my back, hoping to meet you. Watching snow melt in my hands as the city turns white, I pack love into a gift for you to unwrap. In the city of heavy snowfall, snowflakes dance in the air in all forms, just for you. Growing old together is just a moment in time, yet a lifetime promise.

DAY 1: Another trip where I arrived at the airport just in time, haha. Advantage: no waiting. Disadvantage: risk of missing the flight. Here I come, China's northernmost point! Harbin has been a place I've dreamed of for years but never made it to. This year, I finally get to tick off a few places in China I've wanted to visit. With my previous experience of going to the north (wearing Guangdong summer clothes, arriving to just a few degrees, with all my clothes checked in, and having to tough it out in the cold), this time I chose to take my down jacket on the plane so I could wear it upon arrival. Nice and warm. But my silly companion set off in typical Guangdong flip-flops. I really didn't want to laugh at her, hahaha—so full of bravado.

Afternoon flight to Harbin. It was already dark when we arrived. Turns out that in winter here, it gets dark by 4 p.m. After dropping off our luggage, we headed out for food. In Northeast China, you've got to have a Northeast iron pot stew (we ended up having it almost every day—can't help it, it's too cold, and this is the most suitable). I recommend this place: Shanlitun Iron Pot Stew. The restaurant has a great Northeast vibe and is very busy.

After dinner, we strolled along Central Street. Despite the cold, there were still plenty of people. Bingtanghulu (candied hawthorn sticks) were everywhere, in all varieties. The trendy Modaier ice pops—the ones sold in the middle of Central Street—are the best. They're sold outdoors because it's cold enough; no need for a fridge. Original flavor: 5 yuan each, also durian and hazelnut flavors.

Back at the homestay, tired from walking, my stomach started growling again. Gotta say, our digestive systems are top-notch. I wanted fruit and bubble tea too!

DAY 2: Ordered Northeast breakfast via Meituan. It was too cold outside and I wasn't ready to go out. Gotta say, Meituan is great.

Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Flood Control Memorial at Songhua River are at opposite ends of Central Street, both within walking distance. Actually, during the day, Harbin is okay—a few degrees, not too cold where there's sun and no snow. One end of the river used to have a cable car to the other side, but since it was winter and about to snow, they suspended it for safety.

Near the Flood Control Memorial, there were uncles carrying buckets of water practicing calligraphy with big brushes on the ground—clearly skilled.

By the Songhua River, there's a statue like this. I asked my companion to imitate it, hahaha.

Near the river, there's another Modaier ice pop shop. This one is like a café where you can sit, buy cookies, desserts, etc. The ice pops look nice, but the taste is still better at the roadside one in the middle of Central Street, and cheaper too.

Since we had a green train (slow train) at around 6:00 p.m., we went to a mall after dinner to buy supplies for the 17-hour journey. Otherwise, the long night would be unbearable.

Embarked on my first-ever green train. I was hesitant when booking, but I thought it'd be an experience. The only motivation: I could sleep and wake up to see heavy snow (since it gets dark early, the train schedule fit my Mohe itinerary; flying would waste a day).

Haha, my companion's big feet. We slept sitting up. I was originally scared of the green train, but maybe because I was too happy, I slept well. The four seats were just right for two—we could stretch out.

DAY 3: I kept hoping to wake up to heavy snow and sunrise. It didn't disappoint. I saw the entire process of a snowy sunrise. I was sleepy but more excited. It was a great experience—you have to feel it yourself. The snow was thick, up past my knees when I stepped into it.

A cup of Xiangpiaopiao milk tea in the morning—nice! (You can brush teeth on the train. I prepped my toothbrush and carried it, so yes, I brushed, hehe.) The train had heating, I sipped milk tea, watched the snowy scenery—it was pure enjoyment. I forgot about the 10-hour ride.

Finally, the announcement came. Everyone started packing up and putting on their gear. The driver we booked was waiting outside the station.

Turns out Mohe is the Greater Khingan Range area we learned about in elementary school textbooks.

The road to the northernmost point was piled with snow.

At China's northernmost point, our car could only go to the ticket office; then we transferred to a scenic bus. Stepping out, we saw snow everywhere—super happy. My companion even lay down and rolled around. I've seen snow many times, but never this heavy.

Across the frozen river is Russia. We joked about walking across, but of course, that's impossible.

When in Rome... For dinner, we had chicken stewed with mushrooms and beef brisket braised with potatoes, and slept on a big Northeast floral-patterned kang (heated brick bed). First time sleeping on a kang—it was really warm. The whole house was heated, not cold at all, warmer than winter in Guangdong.

DAY 4: Early morning, we took a horse-drawn sleigh to see ice fishing. The cold wind whistled, my mask was full of steam. The snowflakes at the ice fishing site were beautiful, each one delicate. (My companion said her down trousers, bought two years ago, finally got an outing, haha).

I'd also long wanted to see birch forests. The white birch trees against the blue sky looked stunning—perfect color coordination.

Ewenki Reindeer Park. When we entered, we bought moss to feed the reindeer. As soon as we stepped in, the reindeer seemed to know we had food and came toward us, scaring me so much I threw the moss, boohoo. I had decided beforehand that I would feed a reindeer, so I bought another bag. Fighting my fear, I asked my companion to distract the reindeer while I slowly approached, trying to feed it. Later, outside the park, I found out why the reindeer kept chasing me—my clothes had moss stuck all over (the moss was dry, and my clothes' material easily caught it).

Skiing was really fun. At first, I was scared of the slope, terrified as I slid down slowly. But then I got into it—I could go straight and stop myself. My companion also went straight. I shouted, "Awesome! Almost at the bottom! Stop! Stop!" But she said she couldn't stop, haha. No need to say what happened next—she just lay flat on the ground. I laughed until my stomach hurt.

We visited Christmas Village early for Christmas, hehe. There were many ice sculptures in the village, but we came too early; they were still being built, so many weren't visible. I heard that when finished, they'd be lit up at night. The village had many ice games to play—one ticket covered everything. Riding kids' bicycles was exhausting. All ice games required a lot of effort.

DAY 5: I found the North! At China's northernmost point, I watched the sun rise, with a hazy mist around. I was wearing only one thick pair of pants, so cold I kept rubbing my thighs for warmth. When I came out, the sides of my hair were frosty (from breathing steam freezing in the cold). A huge thermometer showed minus ten-something degrees. We came early, not yet the coldest time.

Welcome to China's northernmost and most beautiful post office. Inside, you can print your photos and turn them into postcards to send. My companion said: "I have to write a letter to myself, a letter from a faraway home."

One last iron pot stew before heading home. I've come to love iron pot stew here—spare ribs, chicken feet, pumpkin, and potatoes stewed together, very soft and tender.

Time to go home. The entire airport had just our plane—felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Travel is a great joy for me. What about you? We love to travel, so we've been to many cities, met many different people, and collected different stories. I've been to different places, seen different scenery, learned different things, experienced different lives. The trip is over, but not the feelings, not the journey—only the vacation ends. Travel isn't about the destination, but about the people and things along the way, and those beautiful memories and views.

This year, I fulfilled another wish: coming to the north. Although the days were short and we had to rush to play, I truly experienced the cold north—needing heated insoles when going out. But honestly, it wasn't as cold as I imagined, except the last morning before sunrise. In elementary school, I learned about the Greater Khingan Range in summer, so I hope to go again in summer to see the flowers in full bloom, the green grass, and all the colors. What a wonderful feeling.

Shenzhen – Harbin – Mohe – China's Northernmost Point – Beihong Village – Birch Forest – Ewenki Reindeer Park – Christmas Village – Border Post – Northernmost Post Office – Mohe – Harbin – Shenzhen

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