Harbin – A Winter Wonderland

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province in north east China. Located between Russia and North Korea, and at one point under the control of Japan during the Manchuria occupation, Harbin draws inspiration from these countries which can be seen in both its architecture and food.

Harbin, also known as the ice city due to its extremely cold and dry winters (it got as low as -27°C when I visited), is best to visit in winter for the Ice and Snow Festival, the largest in the world. The city is host to buildings constructed from ice and massive snow sculptures. Winter really is the best time to visit Harbin to truly experience everything the city has to offer.

What to take to Harbin

Harbin Ice and Snow World

The main attraction of Harbin’s Ice and Snow Festival is the Ice and Snow World. Within this park there are many buildings constructed from blocks of ice pulled from the Songhua River. The park is usually open (weather dependent) from December to February, and it’s recommended you buy tickets in advance to skip some of the large queues. I’d also recommend visiting in the late afternoon with the intention of staying till after dark. This way you get to see the magnificent ice sculptures in daylight, during sunset, and then at night when they’re lit up. There are restaurants in the park, so don’t worry about eating if you’ll be in the park over dinner time!

Each year the theme of the festival is different, so it’s hard to say what exactly you can expect when visiting the Ice and Snow World. When I went in January 2022, many of the sculptures were themed around the winter Olympics which Beijing was hosting. This also happened to be when China was still keeping its borders closed for the pandemic, so the Ice and Snow World was really quiet!

Within the park there is usually a centrepiece sculpture, like a tower, as well as slides constructed from ice. Some of these you ride on a toboggan or sled, while others you can just slide down on your bottom.

When I visited there were ice castles and palaces, as well as a pyramid. There was also a Noddy train shuttling people around the park, and an area where you could try riding a snow bike. This is a bike where the front wheel has been replaced with a ski. If they have them when you visit then I recommend trying it – it’s a blast to cycle and slide around on the ice!

Sun Island Snow Sculpture Expo

Located close to the Ice and Snow World is the Sun Island Snow Sculpture Expo. This expo features enormous snow sculptures and also a changing theme each year. Like with the Ice and Snow World, the theme in January 2022 was based around the winter Olympics. As such, the largest sculpture in the park was of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the 2022 winter Olympics.

Other snow sculptures included tigers, a cruise ship, a shark, and astronauts, each more impressive than the last.

If you’re lucky you might also be able to watch one of the sculptors at work!

Zhaolin Park Ice Lanterns

Forming another part of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival are the Zhaolin Park Ice Lanterns. These ice sculptures are incredibly detailed, and are lit from beneath to appear like lanterns.

As with the rest of the festival, the ice lanterns follow a theme. There were many Olympics based sculptures as well as animals.

There’s also a spot to sled down an ice slide or try skating within the park.

Songhua River

The Songhua River flows through Harbin and regularly freezes during the winter months. The ice is so thick that it is safe to walk on. Blocks of ice are pulled from the river to construct many of the sculptures for the Ice and Snow Festival. You’ll even see people driving on the river at certain places!

I recommend heading down to the river to walk on the ice. It’s a strange feeling stepping onto the ice and seeing it stretch off into the distance.

From Stalin Park and westward from there on the banks of the river you’ll also find more snow sculptures.

On the river by this area there are some activities you can try, like skating on the frozen river or being pulled by a dog sleigh.

You can choose to walk across the river or you can take a cable cart across to Sun Island, though it’s ridiculously cold sitting in the cable car. The aerial view of the frozen river is cool, but perhaps not worth it to freeze suspended in the air. The best way to cross the river remains by metro.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin is a former Russian Orthodox Church and the largest in the Far East. Construction of the cathedral was completed in 1907, but the church was closed after the formation of the People’s Republic of China. The church was later reopened and now serves as an art gallery.

The cathedral remains an impressive building with its striking Russian architecture which stands in contrast to much of the architecture you’ll find elsewhere in China. Head along during the day to see its snow-covered rooftops, or visit at night to see it lit up.

Zhongyang Avenue

Zhongyang Avenue, or Central Street, is the longest pedestrian street in Asia at 1450 metres long. Along this street you’ll see a range of architecture styles, many of which are European. The street is home to many restaurants and shops, and is a great place to head for dinner or to pick up some souvenirs.

I’d recommend trying the ice cream for sale on this street. It’s a bizarre experience to eat ice cream in sub-zero temperatures, especially when the ice cream is warmer than the surrounding air!

What to take to Harbin

Obviously Harbin in winter is unlike most places tourists tend to visit. The extremely low temperature and dry conditions mean you need to pack accordingly.

I’d recommend taking hats and scarfs to protect your head from the cold. Wearing a face mask is also a good idea to prevent you losing moisture or freezing your nose off. You’ll notice your breath condensing and freezing in the mask, or blowing out the top and freezing your eyelashes.

For the rest of your body bring layers. Lots of layers. Every day in Harbin I wore a t-shirt, jumper, hoodie and jacket. I had two pairs of gloves on (I recommend gloves you can use with touchscreens so you don’t have to take them off to take photos) and two pairs of socks. On top of that I wore heavy winter boots. For my legs I wore legging-type things under my jeans. Don’t underestimate the cold when visiting Harbin!

Many people also recommend heat packs to keep your hands warm. You can pick these up from many convenience stores or pharmacies. Another good idea is to pack some portable phone chargers/batteries. In the extreme cold, phone batteries seem to die quicker, so you’ll want to be able to stay charged to get lots of good photos of all the ice and snow sculptures!