A weekend in Harbin

A weekend in Harbin - Travel planning:

I have planned a weekend to visit the city of Harbin, the world's largest ice- and snow-festival and the breeding station for Siberian tigers. The journey took place on Friday evening from Beijing, the return journey on Sunday evening.

Arriving by plane from Beijing, you reach Harbin airport after about 1.5 hours. Harbin is the capital of the northeast Chinese province of Heilongjiang.

From the airport it is advisable to either take the hotel's own shuttle service or take a taxi to the accommodation. The drive takes about an hour, or longer depending on the weather.

In order to avoid the extreme cold up to -40 ° C during the day, it is advisable to visit Harbin around mid-February. Nevertheless, you should avoid the national holidays around the Spring Festival, but also keep an eye on the maximum daily temperatures. As soon as the ice begins to melt, the Ice- and Snow-Festival will also be closed to visitors for safety reasons.

Warm clothes, sturdy, warm shoes and, if necessary, warming pads are an absolute must. Depending on the weather, a strong, biting cold wind blows from the north. This quickly turns any outdoor activity into a torture. Especially if you are not properly dressed and prepared for it.

The arrival in Harbin:

The arrival in Harbin is no problem. From the airport you can easily take one of the numerous available taxis to the hotel. Alternatively, a shuttle service can be reserved at most hotels when booking.

The accomodations in Harbin:

Harbin is a very modern metropolis with millions of people, with numerous good and even some exclusive hotels near the Ice- and Snow-Festival. Even the medium-priced hotels are comfortably furnished and offer everything you need to warm up after a cold day outside.

In addition to a warm shower or whirlpool in the room, many hotels also have a sauna, which hotel guests can use free of charge.

Normally the hotels also have good, well-kept restaurants where you can end the day with a nice dinner on your return without having to go out into the cold again.

The Harbin Ice- and Snow Festival:

The Ice- and Snow-Festival in Harbin is divided into two large areas. The Snow-World and the Ice-Festival.

It is a good idea to visit the Snow-World during the day and to visit the Ice-Festival around sunset. If there is still room in the meantime, a walk through the Russian-style pedestrian area is absolutely worthwhile.

The Snow-World:

In the Harbin Snow-World you can find almost original-size, finely detailed replicas of Chinese sights, such as the famous sky altar, the original of which can be found in Beijing.

You will also find wintry villages, which are modeled entirely out of snow after the original.

In the sculpture section, larger-than-life snow exhibits by artists from all over the world are on display, and can be viewed here until spring.

For those who think the works of art and snow structures are too boring for them and who would like some variety and action, there is also enough on offer in Snow-World.

In addition to ice skating and ice hockey games, various slides and ice channels are partly creatively integrated into the art objects.

Here, especially the little guests, can have a lot of fun.

The Harbin Pedestrian Area:

After the Snow-Festival, a detour to the pedestrian area is ideal to warm up. Here you can enjoy a piece of cake and a warm drink in one of the numerous cafés. Then it's off to the real highlight, the Ice-Festival, back out into the cold.

Due to the geographical location, the architectural and cultural influence of Russia can be clearly seen in the pedestrian zone of Harbin. The buildings, as well as the goods on offer are mainly from Russian origin.

Despite the freezing cold, Harbin's cold specialty, “modern ice-cream”, should not be missed, even in winter. Better than outside, however, you can enjoy it in one of the pleasantly heated cafés.

Strengthened with a warm cup of coffee and a delicious piece of cake, it is time to set out again and head for the main attraction of Harbin. The Ice-Festival can be reached on foot from the pedestrian area.

The Ice-Festival:

The Harbin Ice-Festival is the largest of its kind in the world. Here you will find gigantic structures made of pure ice, which are spectacularly illuminated at night, creating a very special atmosphere.

In order to make the best possible use of the time outdoors, it is advisable to start the visit around sunset. So you still have the opportunity to marvel at the buildings in their unlit state and save yourself a possible second visit during the day.

Because, especially when the sun is shining, the structures made of hundreds or even thousands of ice cubes shimmer like crystals and are sometimes even more impressive than when illuminated at night.

After sunset, the ice buildings are artfully illuminated. The festival also has a lot to offer musically. On some stages there are dance interludes and shows, which provide additional variety.

In addition to Asian buildings, pagodas and bridges, internationally known structures such as the Burj Khalifa from Dubai or the Colosseum from Rome are exhibited on the site.

Everything on the site is made of ice. Even the stairs and railings are, partly ornately decorated, made of pure ice. Warm shoes and socks are therefore absolutely necessary, otherwise the surface will also cause cold feet.

In addition to large and famous buildings, fragile ice art that has been worked out down to the last detail is also on display on the festival grounds.

Those who want additional variety can enjoy tobogganing and ice skating or have a cocktail served at an ice bar.

The breeding station for Siberian Tigers:

Another attraction in Harbin is the breeding station for Siberian tigers. In the extensive area they can live here in a similar way as in the wild.

With specially gridded safari buses you are driven through the huge facility. With a little luck you can get the animals up close in front of the camera.

In addition to the Siberian tigers, you can also see lions and other big cats in other, somewhat smaller enclosures.

Conclusion:

The weekend in Harbin was a great, but extremely cold experience. In my opinion, the schedule from Friday evening to Sunday evening is sufficient to visit the Ice- and Snow-World and also the Siberian Tigers.

In between there was also enough time for a coffee in the pedestrian zone. This tastes twice as good keeping the outdoor temperatures in mind.

I can fully recommend a weekend in Harbin in late winter to anyone who is interested in ice and snow or also in big cats.