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China travel and tour destination Harbin

China Destination Guide - Harbin 哈尔滨

Deep in Manchuria, Harbin - the capital of Heilongjiang province - has strong connections with Russia and this can be seen in much of the old architecture in the centre of the city not to mention the Siberian Tiger Park on the outskirts. These days Russia's biggest influence is in the internationally reknown Snow and Ice Festival where the art of ice and snow sculpture is taken to ever increasing extremes and, if you can cope with the cold, is one of China's most visual spectaculars.

➤ TCTC Tip: The overriding reason to visit is the Snow and Ice Festival from Jan to Feb each year.

What there is to see in Harbin:

The highlight is the Ice Lantern Festival held in January to February. An absolute must see if you are in China at this time - just bring the thermals!
Church of St Sophia in the city centre which is now a museum of the arts containing photography from the early 20th Century and the heyday of Russian influence.
Daoliqu and Zhongyang Dajie areas of the city still retain a decidely Russian flavour in architecture, shops and restaurants.
Stalin Park, the riverside embankment and Sun island park across the Songhua river are all worth a visit for a quiet stroll and in winter becomes a playground for all things ice.
The Siberian Tiger Park is a good chance to view these magnificent animals up close but be warned that Chinese zoos aren't for the faint hearted with guests encouraged to buy live chickens to feed the tigers.

Best time to Visit the Harbin

May to September is comfortable and cool, especially compared with the rest of China at this time. Winters are very cold but well worth it if your trip coincides with the Ice Lantern Festival starting early January for approximately 1 month.

Best reason to visit the Harbin

It has to be the International Ice Festival which we regard as one of China's premiere sights. The scale, the colour and the general celebration of all things snow and ice should not be missed!

Our last word on the Harbin

It's the Russian influence that sets this pleasant city apart from other Manchurian cities. Although a year round destination if you can time your visit to coincide with the Ice Festival then all the better.