Top 10 Things to Do in Harbin

No.1: Join Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

The two-month-long Ice and Snow Festival is the biggest event in Harbin city, which attracts thousands of travelers from both home and abroad every year. From late December to February of the next year, this festival covers the Christmas, New Year and Chinese Spring Festival. The festival has 3 main venues, including International Ice Sculpture at Ice and Snow World, International Snow Sculpture Art Fair on Sun Island and Ice Lantern Garden Party at Zhaolin Park. Just come and witness such a popular carnival! Know more about Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.

Recommended Tour
>> 3 Days Harbin Ice Festival Tour

No.2: View a Fairyland of Snow at Harbin Snow Fair

Harbin Snow Fair at Sun Island is one of the three main venues of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. During the Ice & Snow Festival, Sun Island hosts a spectacular snow sculpture display (called the Harbin International Snow Sculpture Art Expo), which is worth seeing. Distinct from the Harbin Ice & Snow World, but no less ambitious, the building-sized sculptures here are carved of snow, not ice. It is the compacted snow that can preserve their form and bear weight. These snow sculptures are quite intricate and are best seen in sunlight. Most of them are so large that you even couldn’t see the whole view of them at close range.

Recommended Tour
>> 3 Days Classic Harbin Winter Tour

No.3: Make an Appointment with Ice Lantern Show

Ice Lantern Show at Zhaolin Park is also one of the three main venues of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. It is the Ice Lantern Show in Zhaolin Park that gives birth to so many activities related to ice and snow in Harbin, especially the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. In the show, you must be shocked by the ice world and lantern sea. Thanks to the high-skilled artists and craftsmen, the natural ice turns to fine work of art. These works are called "Unrepeatable Fairy", because completely different works will be displayed in the party. There will also be ice sculpture competition of undergraduates. Know more about Harbin Ice Lantern Show.

Recommended Tour
>> 3 Days Harbin Ice Festival Tour

No.4: Ski in the Largest Ski Resort of China

As the Ice city, Harbin have the special natural condition to build ski resorts. When Winter comes, then those outdoor skiing fields of ski resorts will open to the public. Then you can have the opportunities to ski over the real snow mountain or slope. Harbin has many ski resorts, the most professional and popular one of which is Yabuli Ski Resort. It is the largest ski resort of China. No matter you are professional skier or just ski amateur, you could make your dream about "flying over the snow fields" come true in this Winter! Know more about Yabuli Ski Resort.

Recommended Tours
>> 5 Days Harbin Winter Tour with Yabuli Ski Resort
>> 6 Days In-depth Harbin Tour with China Snow Town & Yabuli Skiing

No.5: Experience Distinguished Winter Games

While visiting the Ice City in winter, you can not miss some other special winter activities, but not only Skiing, such as Skating on the ice surface of Songhua River or watching the local winter swimming or catching fishes under the ice. Also snow biking, dog-drawing sled, ice sailing are offered in many ski resorts and the Ice and Snow World theme park. If you are lucky enough, you could also have the opportunity to witness some international winter competition, such as ice sculpture and so on. Just enjoy the winter, the most charm season of Harbin!

Recommended Tours
>> 5 Days Harbin Winter Tour with Yabuli Ski Resort
>> 5 Days Charming Harbin & China Snow Town Winter Tour

No.6: Overlook Songhuajiang River in Cable Car with over 1,000 Meters

Songhuajiang River, one of the 7 famous rivers in China, is a distinguished landmark of Harbin City. It is the mother river of Harbin people, and thus been written in many well-known songs or articles. You may only know that you can look at this river from the bank. However, this time, we will lead you to unlock a different view of this river. The cable car, about 70 meters above the river, connects both Sun Island and Pujiang Square of Daoli District in two sides and the total length is about 1156 meters, on which you could look over the spectacular river from the top. Meanwhile, the overview of nearby attractions can also be in your eyes.

No.7: Hike up Yangcaoshan Hill for Beautiful Sunrise

Located on the northwest corner of Snow Town, Yangcaoshan Hill is at about 1,250 meters above sea level. It's the tallest peak in the region and known as the most beautiful place in Snow Town. With its rare trees, it is the best spot to view sunrise and sunset. Hiking up the mountain is the best way to enjoy the beautiful snow scenery and a good opportunity to escape from the busy world. Most travellers to China Snow Town will choose to hike over this mountain, and they could see an original world of snow along the way. Know more about Yangcaoshan Hill.

Recommended Tour
>> 5 Days Charming Harbin & China Snow Town Winter Tour
>> 6 Days Icy Harbin Tour with Winter Hiking to China Snow Town

No.8: Dine in an "Ice Palace"

In Winter of Harbin, having hot pot is a must for locals. As a special kind of food of China, Hot pot has different features in every place of China. Then this ice city also has its own taste of hot pot. However, Harbin has a new popular kind of hot pot restaurant which can be rarely seen in other places. In this kind of restaurant, the room are made of ice. Customers need to eat hot pot in such a ice room. Image how cool it is to have hot pot in a ice-made room! Don't hesitate to have a try!.

No.9: Taste Special Harbin and Russian Cuisine

The Chinese often believe that the unique features of a local environment always give special characteristics to its inhabitants. This saying also refers to distinguished characteristics of cuisine in each place.

Harbin, located at the northeastern China, has a high latitude and thus it has lower temperature. Meanwhile, it is near Russia. This kind of environment deeply influences its cuisine. You could taste special local foods as big northeastern dumplings, juicy Harbin Sausage, sweet and sour Guobaorou, etc. Or you can taste Russian foods as Borscht, beef stroganoff, Russian beer, fruit pizza, etc. Know more about Harbin Food.

Recommended Tours
>> 3 Days Classic Harbin Winter Tour
>> 3 Days Harbin Ice Festival Tour

No.10: Put Harbin's Charm in Your Camera

Harbin is a dream-like paradise for photographers. They could shoot natural scenery as spectacular Songhua River, sunrise over Yangcaoshan Hill, beautiful snowscape in China Snow Town, splendid world of ice and snow during Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, etc.

Furthermore, the highlight of Harbin is its unique architectures which are totally different from other places of China. Travellers could take your camera along the Central Street to find many buildings with European styles, and Saint Sophia Cathedral, the largest Eastern Orthodox church in Far East, is most special one of them. You can also wander along the streets of Laodaowai to find those old buildings with Harbin and western elements, or walk to the Gogol Street with deep cultural characteristics. Know more about Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Recommended Tour
>> 6 Days In-depth Harbin Tour with China Snow Town & Yabuli Skiing