Fly about two hours north of Beijing and you can spend the weekend in the city of Harbin in Heilongjiang province. Harbin is better known as the city of ice and snow, because it gets about minus 20 or minus 30 degrees Celsius in the winter and holds the world’s most beautiful ice and snow festival with giant sculptures created by artists from around the world. But if you’re not a fan of the cold (like me), you don’t need to wait till winter to visit. There are plenty of things to do in Harbin at other times as well.
If you’re coming for a quick weekend getaway, what you’re bound to experience are:
– delicious foods and lots of drinks
– doses of Russian heritage and cultural influence in everything from architecture to fashion and food
– history
– bath houses with hot springs
– outdoor fun like camping, speed boating on the river, and even skiing!
Let’s talk about the food. What Harbin is most famous for is the guobaorou. It’s twice-fried battered pork slices that are covered in a sweet and sour sauce. It’s delicious, and the perfect combination of crispy and tender mixed with sweet and sour. You’ll love it!
Now, let’s talk about the places you’ll see. Head to Daoli District and the Central Pedestrian Street, which is still in the 1900s style of when it was built. Even the cobblestones of the street are original. Head down the street and you’ll be met with a few restaurants from the same era, like the Modern Hotel, which is known for its giant Russian-style bread called the lieba (which I was happy to discover that they now make a smaller version of, that’s way more practical for smaller parties), yogurt, and tasty ice cream that’s now available all over the country, but which originated from this hotel right in the middle of Harbin.
Head around the corner from there and you’ll see the famous St. Sophia Cathedral, which perfectly captures the city’s Russian influence.
Now for the sports. The Songhua River runs through Harbin and locals hang out by the riverbed and even swim in it during the warmer months. During the winter, when the river freezes over, its edges are packed with ice sports and even ice swimmers.
One of the highlights of my visit was being able to ski in the middle of summer – indoors. China’s winter sports athletes train in Harbin for a good reason. Even during the warmer months you’re able to enjoy quality slopes indoors in Songbei District, across the bridge from the city center. For RMB 108 you can get unlimited skiing after 4pm. It’s well-organized and divided based on your skill level. For the beginners’ route, they’ve even got sled slopes and slides with winter booths you can swap your ski/snowboard boots for if you want to play around in the snow.
This is even better if you’ve got a kid who’s trying it out for the first time. Instead of waiting until winter and making the drive to the slopes in Beijing, explore this indoor skiing place for the following reasons: 1. It’s easily accessible, 2. you can go after a nice relaxing lunch, 3. you can use their ski clothes and equipment, 4. or hire one of the many qualified instructors to teach your kids, and 5. if your kid hates it, well, you didn’t travel very far to get there anyway, and you can spend the rest of the day doing other fun activities in the mall.
Pro tip: You’ve got to have your own gloves.
Finally, let’s talk about the bath houses. While it’s not exactly what most tourism brochures recommend, bathhouses are extremely popular in Dongbei. Don’t let the name deceive you. You don’t go there to just take a bath… Many have hot spring baths and professional scrubbers that’ll exfoliate your whole body from top to bottom, leaving you feeling instantly lighter.
Then you walk into one of the lounging areas, and they’re filled with different types of rooms. You can find game rooms with classic mahjong tables, modern ones that have VR games, and playrooms designed just for little kids that have ball pits and slides. Then there are the movie rooms, where you can chill and relax. And finally, of course, massages to really pamper yourself. A usual trip to a bathhouse in Dongbei is a full-day affair. Every bathhouse will have restaurants inside, and we’re not talking about a quick sandwich. These are full-on buffets that rival any restaurant.
The city has no shortage of bath houses, so if you’re going with the family be sure to check for one that takes kid-friendly activities to the next level. Enjoy!
Images: Mina Yan
