TRAVEL IN HARBIN 哈尔滨, CHINA

1 January 2017

Finally have time to blog about my Harbin trip after ONE YEAR. 

Yes, i visited Harbin last January with my family. My daddy love CHINA, that’s the reason why i’m travelling to china almost every year. Well, this trip is exactly one year ago. How time flies. Somehow, it is one of the most unforgettable trip for me. Why? Because the weather is unforgettable. NO JOKE, Harbin is SUPER COLD. It is crazy, if you plan to visit Harbin this January..be prepare for the cold. This trip is around RM5700 per pax if not mistaken. It is all inclusive ( Flight, hotel, tour, food). Overall, the tour we followed is not really good. I’m not really satisfy with the arrangement therefore i’m not going to share about it. But if you plan to follow a tour, always remember to check the itinerary and the arrangement before you join for it. But still, i’m going to share some of the interesting places i went this trip. 

 December to February is the best time to visit Harbin 哈尔滨

It is also the peak season to visit Harbin because the “Ice City” is dressing up for its annual “Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. This is one of the world’s top 3 ice festivals, attracting hundreds of thousands of local people and visitors from all over the world. 

Central Street (中央大街) is a pedestrian-only cobblestone street more than a kilometer (about a mile) long lined with stores, restaurants, old architecture dating from the Russian era, and malls. Central Street was part of the original town built by the Russians about 110 years ago. 

The attractions you can walk to from Central Street include the old buildings in the old district of the city and the Russian-Chinese Market area there, and St. Sophia Cathedral.

Thousands of visitors come to Harbin every year to appreciate the magnificent snow sculptures, which look more gorgeous under the lights at night. It is super cold at night, around -30-40C

( CHINA SNOW VILLAGE )THIS IS A MUST! 

Remember to check your itinerary whether it is inclusive the tour to the Snow Village. This place is really worth to visit. It is around 4-5 hours from Harbin City. The city is surrounded by mountains. Due to the web-warm air from Sea of Japan and the cold wind from Lake Baikal, the snow period here lasts more than 7 months and the average snowfall reaches 2 meters! It snows mostly five out of seven days in a week. 

The snows here is super super fine and clean! 

We stayed there for two nights. It is like a isolated village from the city, quite chilling. You can also go for skiing if you want. Apparently i didn’t go for skiing because i’m freezing, i can’t even stand more than 2 hours outdoor. Hahaha. 

We had Steamboat buffet for the first night. It is like the best things to do during winter. The food in Harbin is surprisingly good compare to the others place in China. Because Harbin is located in the northeast near Russia, Korea and Mongolia, the food in Harbin is influenced by these countries. I love the everything especially the lamb skewers. MUST TRY when you are there! 

Do you know that it is really hard to take photo during these temperatures

Here’s some tips for taking photo in very cold weather :

1. BRING SPARE BATTERIES - In cold temperatures, batteries discharge faster. It is really hard to take photo especially in cold weather like Harbin. I would suggest you to turn on your camera first before you go outdoor so that your camera can “warm up” a bit. 

2. Keep your camera, batteries, phone as warm as possible. Keeping them close to my body heat, instead of in my bag, keeps them warmer and helps them to hold their charge longer. Buy a heat pack and stick it close to the batteries helps. (Do it before you go outdoor) 

Last but not least, prepare some really warm clothes and gears. Remember to wear snow boots or waterproofs shoes. You can buy it there because it is much cheaper and it is not hard to find. So, don’t worry about it. The weather is very dry, it is suggested that you wear a mask to protect your nose and your face. Also, remember to bring Thermal bottle (暖水壶) to keep warm water inside during travel. 

Don’t worry too much about the COLD, just get everything prepared and you’ll be fine :)

Harbin worth a visit at least once in your lifetime.