Travel Once a Month: Recommended Destinations for the First Half of 2012

       Harbin truly deserves its reputation as the Kingdom of Snow. In January, the whole city is blanketed in white, looking dignified yet charming beneath the layers of snow and ice. No matter how cold it gets, it can't hide its captivating allure. Like a celestial being fallen to earth, it performs the splendor of the "Oriental Little Paris" wrapped in holy white. The architecture in Harbin blends Chinese and Western styles with distinctive flair. A variety of attractions and streets create the city’s unique character, radiating a brilliance as dazzling as the aurora at the northernmost tip of China, amidst the ice and snow.  

       Harbin’s cuisine is largely influenced by its geography and mainly falls into two categories: Northeastern Chinese dishes and Russian dishes. Northeastern cuisine may look rough but tastes excellent, while Russian dishes typically carry a strong Russian flavor.

       Beilai Shun: The largest Hui (Muslim) restaurant in Harbin, famous for its traditional Hui-style hot pot lamb and halal dishes. The hot pot lamb at Beilai Shun uses the specialty Hailar sheep from Inner Mongolia as the main ingredient. Traditional dishes include lamb skewers, braised shark’s fin in white sauce, butterfly sea cucumber, and stuffed sheep tail. There are also creative dishes that incorporate elements from other cuisines, such as chicken tofu, frog with abalone, sesame banana, grape fish, and snow plum fish—each excelling in color, aroma, taste, and presentation, renowned yet affordable.

       Huamei Western Restaurant: A historic, time-honored restaurant with classic Russian decor that makes you feel as if you’ve “stepped back decades.” It’s most famous for its authentic Russian flavors—the borscht is rich and genuine, the beef stew in a can is exquisitely prepared, revealing its depth upon careful tasting, and the canned shrimp has a delicate texture that melts in your mouth.

       Accommodation & Lodging
       Hotel prices may reflect the local people's hospitality, as you can usually find a place for just one or two hundred yuan per night. Even during the peak season around the New Year holidays, you can easily stay in a clean and tidy youth hostel for forty or fifty yuan. In Harbin, besides youth hostels, short-term apartment rentals are also quite popular. Of course, travelers with higher accommodation standards can choose local hotels.

       Kaz International Youth Hostel: Located in a bustling central district, this magnificent Western-style building waits for your one-night stay after a century. Kaz International Youth Hostel is situated in downtown Harbin, right next to Central Avenue. It’s a 10-minute walk to Saint Sophia Cathedral, the Flood Control Monument, and the Songhua River, with easy access to Sun Island and the Harbin Ice and Snow World across the river.
       Shangri-La Hotel: Shangri-La needs little introduction. Harbin Shangri-La Hotel is just a 15-minute drive from the century-old Central Avenue with its European-style architecture and the national 5A-level tourist attraction Sun Island. It’s a 45-minute and 20-minute drive from Taiping International Airport and the train station, respectively.

       Travel & Activities

       When visiting Harbin, you certainly can’t miss the local ice and snow activities. The city offers a wealth of winter fun, including the thrilling ice sleds, ice sailing on frozen surfaces, and the ultimate challenge of winter swimming. In Harbin, you can experience an ice amusement park, the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the Songhua River Winter Swimming Bathing Beach, the Yabuli Ski Resort, and the Erlongshan Longzhu Ski Resort—perfect spots to dive into the world of ice. Local special events also include the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, the Harbin Ice-Sliding Festival, and the Harbin Music Festival.

       Harbin is the largest commercial city in Northeast China and neighbors Russia, so its goods are as distinctive as its culture—boasting both Northeastern and Russian characteristics. Russian specialties include Russian chocolate, candies, as well as紫金 (purple gold) necklaces and Russian matryoshka dolls. Northeastern specialties include the “Three Treasures of the Northeast”—ginseng, deer antler, and mink fur—as well as Harbin red sausage and smoked salmon, which are also worth purchasing.