Haiyun Business Hotel

Harbin Winter

by John195123

Rolling bags are annoying and are just not the way to go. Ever. I don't care if you are just rolling from airport to hotel. They are evil! Evil I tell you!
Backpacks are ideal, especially if you plan on hiking around, but they can be a bit troublesome at times. I must say, that on trains, especially in the mad rush that becomes getting on Chinese trains, you might be glad to have both hands free. Having your hands free is always nice, and not having to struggle with your stuff over curbs and around other people is nice. On packed buses, backpacks can get in the way, but they are still ideal.
Some worry about the backpack being cut and the contents stolen... line your bag.

Hard-sided luggage- on a tour these are ok, but never if you have to walk around. Again, backpacks allow you to be free in where you go- no heavy bag with an uncomfortable handle.

Rolling bags... I've told you about them. Just don't, not in China. Orlando, maybe. Many people use them here, but they are akward and annoying... and evil. The winters in Harbin are cold. Indeed, in October there is already ice on the ground from the freezing nights. -40 F. Cold. Bring gloves, hats and all the other stuff you'd wear skiing, ice fishing, climbing Everest... Cipro and Immodium have been very helpful to me... As always I recommend the best gear you can afford. Always shoot on the largest size and don't use your flash from the nose-bleed section of a stadium. No beach... Sunglasses and a hat.

You can get there most easyly...

by PieterB

You can get there most easyly by airplane, but also by railway as Harbin is a railway center connecting China to Russia. Some of my contacts arived in Harbin after having taken the train from europe (took them 5 days!).
Taxi's are easy to get and affordable. 10 to 15 Yuan gets you anywhere in the city. The taxi's are equipped with taximeters so there's no discussion about the price. Taxi's are not used to getting tips and if you insist, they think you misundersood the price and give you back your change anyhow.

If you want to use busses, you realy need a local guide. People mostly don't speak english (russian is the second language in Harbin).

There are ferry's and a cablecar to get you to the north side of the river. Wach out for the little private ferry's. You have to negociate the price AND be shure you have a price going and back, else they will charge you again for comming back!

Ice Lantern Festival
Also...

by Fruiyersa

Ice Lantern Festival
Also known as 'Ice City', Harbin is most famous in China for its winter scenery and bitterly cold temperatures that accompany the freezing environment. The average winter temperature here is as low as minus 20 to minus 30 degrees C. Make sure you come prepared with plenty of winter woolies!

The Harbinese however, really know how to exploit and make the most out of their situation and have a long tradition of using ice and snow in an amazingly creative and varied number of ways. Frozen lakes are used as natural skating grounds, ground snow is used instead of a refrigerator and even the frozen Songhua lake was once used as a highway.

Ice sculptures first came into being as a traditional Chinese art form during the early Qing dynasty some 350 years ago. Over time, various types and shapes of sculpture have been designed and developed, all enhancing the status of this somewhat unusual art form so that today the annual Ice Festival is televised nationwide, attracting millions of viewers.

Making the ice sculpture is a relatively straight forward process, especially in these freezing temperatures. When the idea first came into being, a colored lantern was placed inside a carved ice block, to make a lantern-like structure. Various techniques have been applied and developed over the years, making the lantern into a more intricate and interesting shape. Designs today include ice flowers, ice buildings (from the Taj Mahal to the Eiffel Tower), ice carvings and life-size figures.

Today, the annual Ice Lantern Festival is held in Harbin from the 5th of January to the end of February. During this time, thousands of ice lanterns,carvings and buildings are exhibited and paraded on huge floats through the city. This is a great experience and even the most cynical visitor cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer size and scale of work that goes into producing many of the sculptures.

Harbin, China

by Soupdujour

"A Winter Wonderland in the Year of the Ox"

As many people know, Harbin, China (the northernmost province) freezes over during the months of December thru February. So, they hold an annual Ice and Snow Festival each year. This amazing attraction draws thousands of visitors to this frozen city each year. Since I am right here in Beijing, I had to go up and see it for myself. And, it was worth it, although the temperature was way below freezing!

Worldtour's Icelights page

by worldtourinchina

"Bring your longjohns"

There are lots of shots of Icelights here at VT so I'll just say that it is quite impressive. Well worth the 80 rmb. Night time is the right time to see these awsome structures of ice and the smaller sculptures, as well as the hugh snow carvings. There is a real danger of frostbite here so be prepared and you will have a great time.