Off-the-Beaten-Path & Budget-Friendly Guide to Harbin, China Snow Town, and Fenghuang Mountain

When talking about Northeast China, what comes to mind?

Harbin—Snow Town

The snow here is deep, and snowflakes dance wildly. This is an "ice and snow fairyland", pure and exquisite, like a fairy tale. In fact, besides the popular Harbin and Snow Town, you can also experience the most authentic Northeast flavor in places that are not far from the popular spots.

Day 1: Arrive in Harbin—Central Street

Day 2: Harbin—Fenghuang Mountain—Weihu Folk Custom Village

Day 3: Skiing, horse-drawn sleigh, snowmobile ride to the peak of Fenghuang Mountain

Day 4: Non-freezing River—Fenghuang Mountain Grand Canyon—High Mountain Snow Valley—Snow Town—Erlang River

Day 5: Erlang River—Harbin

We chartered a car for the whole trip. In Northeast China, it's most reliable to find an experienced driver who has many years of driving on icy and snowy roads!!! Our driver, Master Li, took care of us throughout the journey. We applaud his skilled driving and warm service!!! And the value for money was really good.

Men's tops: 1 down jacket, 1 fleece jacket + down inner layer, 1 quick-dry base layer, 1 thermal underwear

Men's pants: 1 pair of casual pants, 1 pair of trekking pants, 1 pair of quick-dry pants, 1 pair of thermal long johns

Men's shoes: Outdoor hiking shoes (found not enough in the end; suggestion: buy snow boots one or two sizes larger, with thick insoles and two pairs of socks)

Accessories: Lei Feng hat, scarves (two: one casual, one magic scarf—the magic scarf can be pulled up to cover the face), socks (6 pairs: 3 thin, 3 thick; always wear two pairs, one thin and one thick), snow gaiters (very useful when playing in snow to prevent snow from getting into shoes), ice cleats (useful on the frozen Songhua River; especially when holding a camera, without them a fall could ruin the camera and lens), gloves (two pairs of ski gloves + touchscreen gloves), sunglasses (relieve eyes after long exposure to snow)

Women's tops: 1 down jacket, 1 ski jacket, 1 base layer, 1 thermal underwear

Women's pants: 1 pair of ski pants, 1 pair of leggings, 1 pair of thermal pants

Women's shoes: Outdoor hiking shoes (suggestion same as above)

Accessories: Lei Feng hat, knitted hat, scarf, snow gaiters, ice cleats (bought by the Songhua River for 20 yuan), thick face cover (bought by the Songhua River for 10 yuan, very useful)

It seems to be a tradition: in every Chinese city, there must be a few old streets with their own stories. Such old streets often witness the changes of the entire city. This old street has become a shared memory for people living in the city. Central Street is currently the longest pedestrian street in Asia and is known as "Harbin's First Street".

At nightfall, when the lights come on, Central Street becomes a riot of colors. Most of the buildings on both sides are in Baroque style. Walking here makes you feel like you are abroad. In Harbin, you often hear the saying, "If you haven't been to Central Street, you haven't been to Harbin." History and geography have given Harbin its own unique culture and heritage. It is full of charm.

Under light snow, the lights on Central Street seem to become softer, gentler to this ice-and-snow city. On Central Street, crowds of people laugh and chatter, filling the street with joy.

Don't forget to have an authentic Harbin treat—Modern ice cream—in the ice and snow.

When walking on Central Street, don't forget to look at the cobblestones that have endured a hundred years of history. They were designed by Russian engineers using granite. The paving is very artistic and said to be expensive.

The Grand Cathedral is definitely a representative landmark of Harbin.

Built in 1907, it is known as the "First Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East" and is a well-preserved Byzantine building.

On a cold night, there are still many tourists visiting St. Sophia Cathedral.

Fenghuang Mountain Weihu Village Folk Custom Village

"King of the forest covers the earth tiger" — "Chicken stewed with mushrooms" — "Precious pagoda subdues the river demon" — "Pork ribs stewed with vermicelli"... These funny dialogues are actually secret passwords.

After you reply with the correct password, the village gate opens. Villagers dressed in Northeast-style clothing beat drums and gongs, perform the Northeast Yangko dance, and welcome visitors.

Neat courtyards, roofs covered with thick white snow. Under the eaves, red lanterns and bundles of corn hang—this is the most authentic Northeast flavor.

Sit on the warm Kang (heated bed) and cut paper window decorations.

Northeast specialty: frozen pears.

Original cellar-stored aged liquor: everything is available.

Not far away, the mountains are covered with snow. The cornfield at the foot of the mountain adds a layer of gold to the world.

Warm and hospitable Northeastern men.

We sat in the snow, having fun.

Try a snow tube ride—absolutely thrilling.

Beat the drum to create a lively atmosphere.

Let the snow fall freely outside; inside, the iron pot stew is boiling hot, cooking delicious food.

After dinner, we all made dumplings together. After making them, we took them out to the yard to freeze overnight. This is the natural refrigerator of the Northeast. Only in the Northeast can you experience what frozen dumplings really mean.

We made dumplings and arranged them neatly. We were not just making dumplings; we were also weaving our hopes for a better future and our New Year wishes.

On the very top of Fenghuang Mountain lies a high mountain snowfield. In this silver-white world, snowflakes dance. The snow quality on Fenghuang Mountain is excellent, creating the unique landscape of a high mountain snowfield. Whether it's the spectacular ice waterfall or the forest ride on a snowmobile through the snowy woods, here we can embrace, experience, and enjoy the snow country.

This is the Sky Garden. This is an "ice and snow fairyland".

Take a snowmobile to traverse the mysterious snowy mountains; speed through the wind and rush to the summit. This is not only a visual treat but also an adrenaline-pumping snow sport.

Whether it's snow tubing, snow tanks, snow castle maze, playing with snow, skiing... we had a great time.

Horse-drawn sleighs: the bells on the horses' chests have been ringing over Fenghuang Mountain for hundreds of years. Now it's a great way for us to experience Northeast snow activities.

A stylish Northeastern uncle.

After playing, a fruit feast was ready.

This is a very niche but very fun spot. In the canyon of Fenghuang Mountain, at minus 20-something degrees Celsius, this non-freezing river still flows merrily. Thin mist rises by the river like a fairyland, dreamlike.

Crossing the forest, our car continued through the ice and snow world.

Fenghuang Mountain Grand Canyon is located on the south side of Dongsheng Forest Farm (does Dongsheng Forest Farm sound familiar? Yes, China Snow Valley is Dongsheng Forest Farm). Compared to the hustle and bustle of Snow Town and Snow Valley, this grand canyon seems to be opened just for us.

After the ice waterfall freezes, layers hang together, very beautiful. This is a sight you cannot see in Snow Town or Snow Valley.

Master Li told us that Snow Town deserves its name largely because of its snow. The snow quality is excellent and very sticky. The snow mushrooms that tourists love so much can only be piled up with snow from Snow Town.

The snow cover period in Snow Town is said to be up to 7 months, with a maximum depth of 2 meters.

The most lively place in Snow Town is definitely Xueyun Street. This main road, about 500 meters long, is full of shops and guesthouses. Various Northeast snacks are sold here, such as frozen pears, frozen persimmons, candied hawthorn sticks, etc.

At nightfall, Snow Town becomes even more enchanting.

At this time, the snow mushrooms seem enchanted, looking like little houses from a fairy tale. The snow seems exceptionally white, and the lights become especially dreamy.

Such a scene made it impossible for us to put down our cameras and phones. Such beauty is worth recording.

Accommodation in Snow Town is expensive during holidays; a better choice is Erlang River.

The snow here is equally excellent.

On the way back from Erlang River to Harbin, beautiful scenery kept appearing. It felt like we were traveling through a Chinese ink-and-wash painting.

Such scenery seems to exist for the Chinese people's deep-rooted fondness for ink-and-wash landscapes.

I was thinking: popular attractions are indeed ideal places to visit. But how to have a special experience at low cost in a popular attraction is definitely an art. I was lucky to find Master Li in the guide, who was recommended as very reliable. This made our trip to the Northeast perfect and smooth. I hope my travel notes can help you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a message or send me a private message.