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Every time winter comes, we always try to arrange a trip to a really cold city to enjoy the true essence of winter, because who knows, maybe someday the world will warm up and there won't be anywhere left to go, right? Just kidding, but winter in Saigon wouldn't really be winter anymore. And although this is my third time visiting this city, this time I finally have the opportunity and time to capture these beautiful images to share with everyone.
To briefly introduce Harbin, it is the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, bordering Russia and very close to Mongolia. Founded in 1898 with the arrival of the East China Railway, the city initially flourished as a residential area predominantly inhabited by immigrants from the Russian Empire.
Winter here is arguably the coldest among major Chinese cities, with temperatures dropping to as low as -40°C. For this reason, Harbin is nicknamed the "Ice City" and focuses on developing tourism and winter entertainment. The most notable is the annual Harbin Ice Sculpture Festival. The city was also selected as a "Top Tourist City in China" by the China National Tourism Administration in 2004.
Honestly, this isn't the first place Vietnamese people think of when traveling, but once you've been here, you'll truly appreciate its amazing charm. We've been here three times in a row over the past three years, and we'll definitely be back this winter to enjoy the cold weather once more.
What should I prepare for when going to Harbin?
If you go in the summer, you don't need much, but if you go in the winter, remember to pack plenty of warm clothes, because the weather is really cold. Based on our experience, you should always have the following:
1. Uniqlo Heattech thermal clothing, or any brand will do. Plenty of sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and fleece pants. Remember to choose pants that are slightly loose so you can easily wear thermal pants underneath. Gloves, wool or fur hats, scarves, and earmuffs are also essential. Most importantly, bring a thick, knee-length coat, or a down-filled puffer jacket – super warm and lightweight for easy portability.
2. Boots of any kind, preferably made of leather and with fur lining inside, are best for keeping your feet warm, because if your feet are freezing, you won't be able to walk or stand at all.
3. If you don't have the above items, don't worry. When you go to Harbin, you can buy them at the local market. They have everything you could possibly need, all cheap, beautiful, and suitable for the local weather. Shopping malls have countless items, but they are very expensive, so we always stick to the local market. After wearing them, you can just leave them there because they're too bulky to carry home, and you can buy more at the market next time you go.
Since I'm going to a cold country, I have to plan my luggage very carefully before I leave. I need quite a lot of things and luggage, so exceeding the weight limit is highly likely.
How do I get to Harbin?
All major cities in China have flights to Harbin. From Vietnam, you would have to fly to a major city like Guangzhou, Beijing, or Shanghai first, and then take a connecting flight to Harbin.
The average ticket price for both of these flights in winter is around 7 million VND for economy class, and about 25 to 28 million VND for business class, depending on the airline. I think this is a perfectly reasonable price.
The total flight time for both legs is approximately 10 hours, with about 5 to 6 hours of actual flying time and the rest being transit time at the airport. If you've never been to China before, instead of flying straight to Harbin, you could take advantage of the opportunity to stay a few extra days in a transit location (Guangzhou, Beijing, or Shanghai) to explore further, killing two birds with one stone.
Furthermore, Vietnamese citizens traveling to China need to apply for an entry visa beforehand, with visa fees ranging from 1.5 million to 2.5 million VND per person.
The best time to visit Harbin
This place is famous for the world's largest ice sculpture festival, held annually in January, so perhaps this is also the best time to visit Harbin. In summer, the temperature is around 25°C, while in winter the average temperature is -15°C. At its coldest, the temperature can even drop to -40°C.
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival (哈尔滨国际冰雪节), held annually in Harbin, is one of the four largest ice and snow festivals in the world, along with the Sapporo Snow Festival, the Quebec City Winter Carnival, and the Norwegian Ski Festival.
The festival was first held in 1963 and was interrupted for several years during the Cultural Revolution, before being restored in 1985 and has been held regularly ever since.
Where should I stay when I get to Harbin?
Like other major cities, Harbin offers a wide range of accommodation options, from homestays costing a few hundred thousand dong to hotels worth thousands of dollars. The quickest way is to check prices on Booking.com. Due to Tuan's work commitments, we chose to stay at the Sydcn Hotel in West Red Square, a very nice and convenient hotel located in one of Harbin's busiest shopping districts, costing around 2 million dong per night.
We took this picture in the front yard of the hotel; there were 1000 snowmen made of real snow, taller than us!
Getting here is quite simple; you can use taxis, buses, or the subway. This place is world-famous, so everyone knows it and you don't have to worry about getting lost.
The Opera House and this festival are quite close to each other, so we can take the same trip from 10 am to 3 pm and be back soon.
Ice blocks taken from the surface of the Songhua River are cut into chunks with saws. Various types of saws are used by ice sculptors to create giant works of art like the one pictured, all made entirely of ice.
Many artisans had to design and work day and night to be ready for the festival's opening. Deionized water was also used to create transparent, glass-like ice blocks, making the sculptures even more beautiful. We are so small compared to this castle, aren't we?
If you love taking photos for social media, just one visit here will give you enough pictures to last you a whole year!
The entire festival area, with hundreds of castles, statues, fortresses, gates, churches, ski slopes... stretches endlessly, and you could walk on and on without seeing it all. If you go at night, the festival is illuminated by millions of colorful lights, which is very eye-catching, but we've already been there twice at night, so this time we went during the day to enjoy the pristine white landscape, perfect for a cold winter.
When your feet get tired, stop for a moment and enjoy a hot, fragrant latte. Isn't that wonderful?
From a vast expanse of white snow and ice, a giant, bright red bell suddenly appeared like this. People said ringing this bell would bring good luck, so we all jumped right in!
The Year of the Pig must have a wall sculpted from white snow in the shape of pigs! This festival already holds the Guinness World Record for the largest ice sculpture!
Interestingly, this festival only lasts for a month. After that, the entire city melts down as the weather warms up, and the following winter the artisans gather again to rebuild a new city for us to admire. Isn't that amazing!
Besides the world's largest ice and snow festival, Harbin also boasts an incredibly grand and magnificent attraction: the Harbin Opera House itself, a breathtaking sight when viewed from above, completely covered in white snow. The Harbin Opera House, located in the Songhua Cultural Center, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, comprises a grand theater (1600 seats) and a smaller theater (400 seats). In February 2016, the Harbin Opera House was chosen by ArchDaily as the world's "best cultural building".
From the ground, you can walk along the winding staircase on the roof of this theater to climb to the top of the building and enjoy the panoramic view. You don't need to buy a ticket to climb because it's a public area, so feel free to do so.
Harbin Grand Theatre
The next day we decided to go explore the city center. Harbin is heavily influenced by Russian culture because it borders Russia and has many Russian immigrants living there. Walking around, the architecture made me feel like I was in a European city, not China – it was so interesting! Even though it was sunny and midday, the temperature was still -16°C!
Central Street is the oldest and longest pedestrian street in Harbin, measuring 1450 meters, and is also the only street in Harbin paved with stone, as shown in the picture.
Ironically, despite the unbearable cold, people still lined up in a long queue... Can you guess what they were doing there?
...to EAT ICE CREAM!!! Of course, with irresistible curiosity and desire, I jumped into the line to buy two ice creams. And they were truly delicious. This ice cream shop has been here for over a hundred years, since 1906, and is so famous that people line up in long queues!
Tired of going out in the city, we decided to head to the forest. This season is perfect for taking beautiful photos everywhere you go!
This is the magnificent Songhua River, now completely frozen, and in the distance is the city center!
My legs were so tired, so I sat down in the middle of the river for a while. The wind here was so strong it felt like it would blow us away. But we still really enjoyed this feeling despite the -16°C cold.
