Worship Tibet IV: Closest to the Heaven—Lake Namtso

In the previous articles of Tibet series, we have talked about three most popular attractions in Tibet. But do you know there is another famous attraction? Lake Namtso, the highest saltwater lake in the world, which is talked about in the chapter.

                                                              Chapter Four


               Closest to the Heaven—Lake Namtso

Lake Namtso, meaning “Heaven Lake” in the Tibetan language, is often described as being next to Heaven because of its lofty altitude, stunning beauty, pure blue water, and spiritual associations.--Snow-capped mountains and open grassland, dotted with yak herds and local nomads, surround the crystal clear waters of Lake Namtso, making it one of the most beautiful places in Tibet. 

Lake Namtso

Located northwest of Lhasa in Nagqu Prefecture, Lake Namtso is the highest salt lake in the world, with an elevation of almost three miles, or 4,718 meters. The lake also ranks the second largest salt lake in China, covering a vast area of over 1,900 square kilometers, or about 757 square miles. It is over 70 kilometers long, reaches a width of 30 kilometers and is 35 meters at its deepest point. 

The Striking Beauty of Lake Namtso

The scenery at Namtso is beautiful and magnificent. Mt. Nyainqentanglha standing to the southeast of the lake, soars to a height of over 7, 100 meters (23, 294 ft) above sea level, and is snow-capped throughout the year. The lake's northern side is bounded by gently undulating hills that form this part of the continental plateau. Melted ice and snow from the surrounding mountains are the major source of the pure and clean waters of this placid lake which has a typical emerald hue due to the high mineral content. 

Mt. Nyainqentanglha

Encircled by vast grasslands, the lake resembles a huge mirror. The lakeside plain provides a natural pasture where herdsmen graze their cattle and sheep. Here too is an abundance of wildlife that includes birds, ducks, bears, yaks, donkeys, blue sheep, foxes, river deer and Himalayan marmots, while the lake teems with fishes and is a source of precious medicinal materials. Numerous mani stones and colorful prayer flags can be seen all around the shore and these add another touch of brilliance to the scenery. 

The azure blue sky dotted with white clouds, the greenish lake water, and white snow, swathes of green grasses, red mani stone piles, multicolored flowers enhance the beauty of the area and together with the lively animals form a picturesque view of nature. 

It is small wonder that visitors had been to the lake say that they enjoy spiritual refreshment and a heart gladdening feeling when they stand beside Namtso.  

Lake Namtso--Holy Lake

There are four monasteries at the four compass points of Lake Namtso, and on the walls of these monasteries there are many rocky Buddhist artifacts carved out by nature. Lake Namtso is said to be the mother of Nyainqêntanglha Peak. 

Sunrise of Lake Namtso

At the end of the twelfth century, eminent monks of the Tibetan Kagyu school of Buddhism came to Namtso to practice their religion. They considered that this lake was the seat of Chakrasamvara of Esoteric Buddhism and they pioneered the practice of circumambulation around the lake. Later, Buddhists came to believe that during each Year of the Sheep in the Tibetan calendar, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Vajras assemble at this place. 

They also believe that during these auspicious occasions the chanting of scriptures and making a circumambulation of the lake is equal to doing them ten thousand times at other times. So each April to June in the Year of the Sheep, numerous pilgrims trek many miles from all over Tibet and other provinces, such as Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan as well as from India and Nepal. It takes twenty to thirty days to circumambulate the lake just once so today most of the people walk around an islet of the lake instead. 

During the Year of the Sheep, believers would come in large numbers at the end of winter, walking over the lake's frozen surface and carrying their food with them. They would spend the summer at Lake Namtso unable to return again until the water froze the following winter. Worshipers believed that if one walked around the lake once during the Year of the Sheep, he and his family would be blessed with good health, safety, knowledge and other virtues. --Though the practice of walking across the frozen lake is no longer permitted by the Chinese government, modern believers can worship at the Tashi Dor temple, which is built on the southeast corner of Lake Namtso. 

Travel Tips for Lake Namtso

Scenery of Lake Namtso

Traveling to Lake Namtso may require visitors to endure rough weather and high altitude but once they arrive there and take in its pristine beauty, the trip is a worthy and unforgettable experience. 

The best season for visiting Lake Namtso is summer, from May to September. However, visitors should come prepared at all times for wet weather, snow, and cold winds. October often brings heavy snowstorms and treacherous road conditions. 

There are tours available to Namtso from Lhasa or tourists can hire a taxi or mini bus from Lhasa, which is about a four-hour drive. 

Do you want a spiritual refreshment right now?—along these days, the quiet of mind is the most needed thing of modern people. If you are stressed, if you are disappointed, if you are searching for a pure world, then come to Lake Namtso to feel the natural world here to calm everything down and then be a stronger person to face the difficulties in life with strengths.—I believe, everything will be seen easy as you enjoy yourself in nature.

Joyous Harbin IV: Harbin’s Landmark--St. Sophia Church

Mentioning of Harbin,you may think of the International Ice and Snow Festival and the Yabuli International Ski Resort have been talked about in the last articles. And, the Harbin’s Landmark-St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral, which will be talk about in the chapter, you may be interested in it.

                                                                  Chapter Four


         Harbin’s Landmark--St. Sophia Church

St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral in Harbin is one of the most splendid buildings in northern China and it is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East. The church is located on the corner of Toulin Street (Toulin jie) and Zhaolin Street (Zhaolin jie). It is 53.3 meters (175 feet) high and occupies an area of 721 square meters (0.18 acres). In November, 1996, it was listed as one of the Key Cultural Relics under State Protection. 

St. Sophia Church: Yesterday & Today

St. Sophia Church has a complex history. It was built and completed in March, 1907 as part of a plan to reconsolidate the confidence of the army by building an imposing spiritual symbol. In 1921, Harbin had a population of 300,000, including 100,000 Russians. The church was expanded and renovated from September 23, 1923, when a ceremony was held to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone, to its completion on November 25, 1932, after nine years. --The moment it was finished, it had been the landmark of Harbin by its grand and magnificent appearance and exotic atmosphere.

St. Sophia Church

By the 1990's, St. Sophia had undergone considerable decline. The church no longer was in use, and residential apartments and office buildings surrounded it. Magnificent Russian painted murals that adorned the church's arched walls were destroyed out of recognition. 

While in 1997, the local government under took to undo the decades of deterioration. But as the original Russian murals were lost completely, they were replaced by topically new murals depicting the architectural history of the Harbin community. And crosses that were removed in six places were replaced. Now, the murals, pendent lamps, dome and the bell tower are restored to their original splendor.

At present day, St. Sophia Church was hailed as a monumental work of art and the largest Orthodox Church in the Far East. It’s now an art gallery, displaying the history, current situation and future of this famous cultural city of Harbin with over 1000 pictures. --It is a popular tourist spot in the city attracting visitors home and abroad as well as a key historical site for the research of modern history of Harbin. 

St. Sophia Church: Architectural features & Adornments

The Byzantine style church is so beautiful, it is said to look as if it had been made by God's hands. In fact, St. Sophia means 'God's wisdom'. Under the bright sun, the church and the square area it lies on looks quite like the Red Square in Moscow.

Inner of St.Sophia Church

The church was beautiful designed and decorated both in exterior and interior. The splendid church is designed to be a cross-shape in the east-west direction and its walls are covered by red bricks. It is a master-slave layout that a big green Byzantine spherical pinnacle commands four smaller tent-shaped pinnacles in typical Russian style. 

There are four floors and each is accessible by a door in the four respective directions. The top part of the main entrance is the bell tower houses 7 bells of totally different sizes and tones, the biggest one of which was molded by bell metal with a diameter of 1.425 meter and weight in 1.8 ton. In the middle of the bell, there are four saints. On every major feast day in the past, the well-trained bellman would tie the ropes of the 7 mallets to different parts of his hands and feet to play musical progressions. It is said that the clangs can resound to the skies and people even in dozens of kilometers away can hear it. 

Though the interior decorations and the gorgeous Russia painted murals were damaged because of wars and time, the architecture is still beautiful and spectacular as it used to be. The government has refurbished it and new murals were readorned depicting the architectural history of Harbin community. 

--All in all, St. Sophia Church is worth of traveling. How can you leave Harbin without visiting its landmark? The art of the church will really attract your interests and let you appreciate the real Russian style. Dears, what’s your affection of St. Sophia Church?

Joyous Harbin III: Fun on Ski: Harbin Yabuli International Ski Resort

In the last article, we have talked about the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, one of the pageants in Harbin in winter. Have you been there? Now, whether you have enjoyed it, there is another entertainment you must can not miss-Harbin Yabuli International Ski Resort.

Chapter Three

   Fun on Ski: Harbin Yabuli International Ski Resort

The Yabuli International Ski Resort, the biggest and best ski resort in China, is 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Harbin and 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Mudanjiang in Shangzhi City, Heilongjiang Province. 

The resort provides great skiing with high mountains and good snow. Local skiers enjoy the high elevation and the fact that the snow is neither too hard nor too powdery. The lowest temperature is -47.2°F. Because of the high elevation, snow falls for a long period of about 170 days. The period from November to late March of the next year is the best time to ski at Yabuli Ski Resort.

The resort is the biggest training centre for alpine skiers and the mountain hosts of many professional skiing competitions. In 1996 the 3rd Winter Asian Games was held here along with numerous the National Winter Games and other national and provincial competitions.

Yabuli International Ski Resort

The ski resort includes two distinctive areas: the competitive section and the leisure skiing section. The alpine competitive skiing section reaches an altitude of 1,374 meters (approx. 4,508 feet). Built according to international standard, this section provides an excellent environment for professional skiers. In the leisure skiing section, the highest altitude is only about 1,000 meters (approx. 3,281 feet), and the area provides a comparatively safe environment for leisure skiing. 

There is also a German built slide where tourists can enjoy sliding down from the top of the snowy mountain. Doing skiing on the slide is easy and safe, bringing visitors a thrilling experience.

Besides skiing, visitors can also take advantage of the other entertainment facilities at the resort, such as the mini golf course, tennis court, turf courts, hot-air balloons, para-gliders among others. The combination of activities, the beautiful forest and comfortable facilities offer tourists a relaxing and fun vacation. In winter, the ski resort is a fantastic place for skiers; in summer tourists can escape the heat and enjoy fun outdoor activities. All year round the resort offers beautiful scenery.

Xin TiWei Resort

Basically, there are two main resorts worth visiting, Sun Mountain and Xin TiWei. The two mountains are literally side by side, and equally tall, but Sun Mountain is by far the better of the two. Some websites may tell you that TiWei is the best, but this is simply not true. TiWei is considerably cheaper, but you will not regret the extra expense of Sun Mountain.  

Sun Mountain has far better rental equipment, more trails, a better snowboard park, nicer facilities, better service, and better snow. Beginners may saving money at TiWei, but experienced skiers/boarders should head directly to Sun Mountain. Sun Mountain even has English-speaking trainers available. Sun Mountain is affiliated with Club Med hotel, but you don’t need to be a hotel guest to ski there.

At TiWei, if you’re an experienced skier/boarder, be sure to specify that you want the “advanced ticket”.  Beginners can pay a lower price, but you are limited to only the bottom portion of the mountain. There is accommodation available at all price ranges.    

Facilities of Yabuli Ski Resort

Yabuli Ski Resort has 6 snow-grooming machines that ensure an optimal powder consistency on the surface of the various pistes at all times, another factor that puts this particular ski resort in a class by itself. The skiing season at Yabuli Ski Resort begins in mid-November and runs until the end of March. 

Ski Runs

Yabuli Ski Resort has 9 intermediate- to advanced-level Alpine pistes, a 5-kilometer Nordic trail and a 500-meter gentle Alpine slope for beginners. The resort's prime advanced-level Alpine piste measures some 3 kilometers (3000 plus meters) with a vertical drop of an impressive 805 meters, which makes this the longest – and most exhilarating – Alpine ski piste in all of Asia (it should be noted that the ski resort is divided into a competition and a leisure section, the former being restricted to domestic and foreign professional (i.e., national-team) skiers). 

The ski resort employs more than half-hundred ski instructors, and though not all of the ski instructors are fluent in English, they are all reputed to be knowledgeable, and very thorough in their tutoring. 

The resort has 9 ski lifts, more than enough to ferry skiers to their various destinations without having to wait in long queues. Visitors say that the old adage about 'getting there being half the fun' has never been more true than in the case of the trip up Yabuli Sun Mountain in one of Yabuli Ski Resort's ski lifts: the views are spectacular as the visitor ascends alongside ridges and ravines, looking out over a forest of snow-clad trees.

Accommodation on Yabuli Ski Resort

Windmill Village

Yabuli Ski Resort is a hyper-modern facility with all that the visitor can desire in the way of bars, restaurants and lodgings, as well as in the way of ski and other winter-sport rental facilities. Besides catering to skiers, the resort has facilities for snowboarding, ice skating and tobogganing – in fact, Yabuli Toboggan Run is the world's longest. 

The ski resort incorporates a number of hotels and bed & breakfast establishments with, in all, over 600 beds. Even cheaper accommodations can be found in the town of Yabuli itself. The ski resort's two 3-star hotels, the Windmill Village and the Tinyihu, have between them some 300 beds. These two hotels offer all the latest conveniences, from indoor swimming pools to fitness rooms and billiard halls to Internet cafés, bars, gift shops, restaurants, play rooms for kids – even a full-sized bowling alley – and the hotel rooms naturally come equipped with cable TV.

In the off-season, from late spring to autumn, there are a number of other activities on offer at Yabuli Ski Resort such as "grass skiing", tennis, mini-golf, hot-air ballooning and para-gliding, and then there is the stunning nature of Yabuli Sun Mountain itself, as well as that of the greater Changbai Mountain Range, where the stealthy visitor just might be lucky enough to spot bears, deer, leopards, tigers and wild boars, while just about every visitor will run across hares, pheasants, squirrels – and birds, birds, birds – not to speak of the chance, after-dark spotting of a badger.

Travel Tips on Yabuli Ski Resort

1. Weather condition in Yabuli: Yabuli's winter weather and large amount of snowfall has resulted in the best snow quality in China. The lowest temperature in winter is 44 degrees below zero and the average temperature is 10 degrees below zero. The average snowfall is 20-50cm at lower part of the mountain, 100cm at the top of the mountain. Ski season in Yabuli begins from the middle of November and ends in late March.

2. Protect your skin from the sun and wind. Winter is not only cold but harsh and brutal to your skin. Add up wind, cold weather and UV rays that reflect off the white snow back onto your face. Take hot shower however take it for short periods only as it tend to take away the natural oils and lipids from the skin's surface leaving it dry as bone. Bring some oily skin care products would be very useful.

Enjoy Your Happy Family Times

3. Opening Hours: Daily, 08:00-16:30 (from November to March) The opening time for the ski resort is from 8:00am to 4:30pm(depending on the weather condition on the day). Normally it is getting dark around 4pm to 4:30pm. It is highly suggested that you get up early in the morning to enjoy skiing and then get your lunch around 1pm and have a rest in the afternoon.

4. How to get the Yabuli: There is no airport around Yabuli Ski Resort. Harbin and Mudanjiang are the two nearest cities with airports connecting major cities in China. Harbin Taiping International Airport is about 45 kilometer from downtown area Harbin, you can take the shuttle bus for about 50 minutes from the airport to Harbin train station and take train to Yabuli.

--By Bus: There are a number of tourist trains daily to the resort from Harbin, taking about 3 hours. After arriving at the town, mini tourist buses will transfer you to the tourist resort.

--By Train: To reach there, via public transportation, you can take D61, D63, T479 or T481 train from the Harbin Train Station to the Yabuli Train Station. Once at the train station, take a bus to the skiing resort. There are two railway stations in Yabuli - Yabuli Railway Station and Yabuli Railway South Station. Yabuli Railway Station is located in Yabuli Township while Yabuli Railway South Station located at Yabuli Ski Resort. 

5. Food in Yabuli: The food in Yabuli ski resort in limited, most of them are available in the hotels only. However you can also taste original northeast food at some local restaurant providing local vegetables and meat such as deer meat hot pot, typical northeast China dumpling, sliced pork, sour cabbage and rice noodles. 

--In a word, thrilling Harbin Yabuli International Ski Resort is an ideal place to experience stimulating activities on the ski. This special kind of sport will give you a memorable exciting experience in a beautiful white snow world!

Joyous Harbin II: 2013 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

In the last article, we have talked about the overview of Harbin, I think you should understand something about the ice city. And now, there is a solemn festival is held in Harbin-the 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. Come on and enjoy the ice  fairyland.

                                                           Chapter Two


2013 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

Time: January 5th-Febuary 5th, 2013   
Place: Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
Main Exhibition Areas: Sun Island & Ice and Snow World & Zhaolin Park
Activity: fantastic and artistic ice-lantern show, great fun of varied games with ice--ice-skating, sled-playing, ice-boating, winter-swimming, etc.

Harbin, the capital of China's now-frozen northeastern Heilongjiang province is holding its annual International Ice and Snow Festival. The Harbin festival is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.

Harbin is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. Annual low temperatures below -35°C are not uncommon.

Overview of the Ice World

With a 190-day freezing season, the northeastern city of Harbin is known as a "City of Ice" and a cradle of the ice-and-snow culture in the world. The long and frigid winter, and the high plasticity and hardness of ice blocks quarried from the Songhua River, furnish favorable conditions for ice and snow sculpture. 

On January 5, 1985, the first Harbin Ice and Snow Festival were unveiled. Since then it has become an annual event from January 5 - February 5, which is highly acclaimed around the world. 

Harbin's annual ice festival is now in its 29th year. The festival features ice and snow carnival; international ice sculptures competitions in the Sun Island; ice lantern exhibition in the parks; speed skating, cross-field skiing and Alpine skiing competitions in the Yabuli Ski Resort or other famous ski resorts; fishing on the icy lakes and rivers; winter swimming in the Songhua River; ice and snow film art festival; exhibitions of paintings, calligraphy and photos; performances of folk songs and dances; wedding ceremonies on ice; economic and trade talks; commodities fairs and trade fairs etc.

The "Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival" is known as one of the most important tourist highlights in China. For years, it has been a Mecca for thousands upon thousands of world's tourists.

For instance, Zhaolin Park, one of the major venues for the festival, is turned into a Disney wonderland with ice sculptures of Mickey and his friends from classic Disney animation films. You can take a tour around the ice castles of Sleeping Beauty and have fun sliding down from the top of Aladdin's tower. 

One-day Fun of Ice and Snow Festival

From the city, there are several ways to get to the festival. If you are trying to do everything in a day, start with lunch and a stroll along Zhongyang Dajie. This pedestrian-only street is the heart of the city's Russian legacy, with interesting shops and food.

Ice Sculptures Castle

An hour in the Ice and Snow World leaves most travelers chilled to the bone. A dinner of hot pot can never seem more welcome. Cai Zhen Ji hot pot restaurant serves up the style and selections of Beijing's Ding Ding Xiang, but at second-tier city prices. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, when in Harbin, remember to order plenty of Harbin Beer and baijiu for endless rounds of toasts with friends.

About three blocks to the east is the Church of St Sophia, a lovely red-brick Russian Orthodox landmark with a distinctive green "onion" dome. The inside is now an architecture museum.

While there is still daylight left, take a quick taxi ride across the Songhua River to Sun Island Park. Go to the snow sculpture park first and see the huge and amazingly life-like reproductions of folk musicians, heroes of China, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, temples, gates, archways and other structures big enough to step through and explore. 

Then at twilight, head for the ice venue. At night the ice park glitters in colored lights like a kaleidoscope, and visitors can skate, play hockey or watch a figure-skating show as well as gawk at the huge ice city.

When night falls, a winter wonderland comes to life. The main attraction this time of the year is the Ice and Snow World, where ice sculptures are set across a large park area just north of the Songhua River. Giant blocks of ice are farmed from the river, hauled to the site, and built into world landmarks familiar to the frequent traveler.

When you have tired of gaping at the sculptures with awe, or of rubbing your hands and stomping feet to stay warm, head to the many igloo tea shops scattered around the park. Other attractions include ice slides several stories tall, dance and music shows, and cheesy photo ops with snow foxes.

Besides, winter swimming has been a longstanding Harbin tradition, drawing many enthusiasts who rave about the health benefits of polar plunging into -30°C waters. The less adventurous can stand on the sidelines and watch as middle-aged swimmers strut their stuff on the frozen surface of Songhua River before diving off a platform made of, you guessed it, blocks of ice.

Exhibition Place 1: Sun Island Park

Sun Island Park covers 15 square kilometers and is featured by cultural attractions and natural landscapes. Sun Island Park consists of one big island and some smaller islands in the Songhua River, which meander through the north of Harbin. It covers a total area of 3,800 hectares.

Sun Island Park

In summer, the island serves as a natural river beach swimming resort and sanatorium area. The island boasts several fine beaches on either bank, such as a profusion of lakes for boating, swimming pools, sunbathing facilities, a fairground, a water world and an arms museum. The middle and northern part of the island is composed of mainly forested areas and a large garden.

Various differently styled recreational buildings were built around the “Sun Lake” and the "Lotus Pond". With hidden paths winding throughout, the park is a nice area to stroll and get away from the crowds, being lushly vegetated with trees and flowers. Barbecues and picnics can also be arranged in one of the meadows here. During winter, the Sun Island is used as the playground for various winter sports; Skiing, Hockey, Ice-skating, and Sledding games. What is more important, the renowned annual Snow Carving Festival is held here.

 Exhibition Place 2: Harbin Ice and Snow World

First set-up by the Harbin Municipal Government in 1999, Harbin Ice and Snow World is by far the largest ice and snow art exhibition in the world. It is commonly referred to as possessing four of the key 'mosts': the most art attractions, the most beautiful night views, the most recreational activities and the most forms of entertainment. Furthermore, the festival is constantly evolving and each year brings with it a new theme, providing visitors with a totally unique experience from one year to the next.

Beautiful Moon

The ice carvings at the Ice and Snow World are regarded as some of the world's finest examples of ice art, with visitors able to admire some of the largest and most majestic ice-sculpted masterpieces. Each of these ice carvings is designed in some way related to the festival's theme, enabling travelers to sample a variety of cultural flavors. 

For example, in its first year the festival's layout was designed around the idea of 'Prosperous China and High-flying Longjiang', with the ice carvings depicting the rapid development of the country. In 2005, the theme was 'Friendship between China and Russia', with all the sculptures fashioned in a typical Russian style. Among them were replicas of some of Russia's most famous architecture, such as the East Palace, and Moscow's Red Square.

One of the highlights for any visitor to the festival is to visit the site at night when multicolored lights set underground illuminate the sculptures, revealing a whole new colorful dimension to the exhibits. The contrasts of the bright and dazzling lights against the dark night sky make the works look all the more spectacular.

The Ice and Snow World is also a centre for various forms of recreation and entertainment, with a variety of opportunities on offer. Visitors will be amazed by the magnificent ice buildings, including an ice maze, ice bar, and even an ice hotel. If you are a fan of snow sports, then there is also the chance to participate in activities such as ice rock-climbing, skating, skiing, sliding, snow fights, ice golf, and ice archery. 

Exhibition Place 3: Harbin Zhaolin Park

Harbin Zhaolin Park was situated in the busy center of the city, faced on to a street along the beautiful Songhua River bank. 

Under unique climatic conditions, Zhaolin Park has two characteristic natural scenes in summer and winter. In summer, the pleasant outlook is composed of flourishing greenery and fragrant-grass, while flowers in full blossom competing with each other for beauty of looks.  The small gardens in it have unique styles, such as "northern garden", "reflecting-moonshine garden", "southern greenhouse", "clove garden", luring you with their charming and beauty. 

Zhaolin Park

In winter, Zhaolin Park is a world of ice lantern. The world-famous ice lantern garden party is held here every year for many times. When night falls, the resplendence and multicolor of ice lanterns are full of the whole park. The vivid and peculiar ice lanterns are adopted by modern technologies, such as sound, light and automation. 

The design of ice lanterns includes the beautiful sceneries in the world and modern and ancient marvelous spectacles. Placing yourself in such a supernatural ice-snow world, you will enjoy yourself so much as to forget to leave. Millions of visitors are attracted to this garden party by its reputation as a scenic spot: they enjoy the marvel and magnificence of ice-and-snow in the north of China, as well as, in a fairyland. 

Joyous Harbin I: White Snow World of China: Harbin

Harbin, the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, is known for its bitterly cold winters and is often called the "Ice City" and is notable for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter and its Russian legacy. In 2010 it was declared a UNESCO "City of Music". Hey, it's winter now, I am sure it should be very happy in Harbin now. Are you exciting? We will show you the overview of Harbin in the chapter.

Chapter One

                   White Snow World of China: Harbin

As the political, economic, scientific, technological and cultural center - and not to mention, the transportation hub - of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin is located on the eastern Song-Nen Plain and on the right bank of Songhua River. Harbin is a famous international metropolis blending Western culture and Eastern culture perfectly. It is also called "Paris in the Orient", and "Moscow in the Orient". 

It is one of the sources of ice and snow culture in the world. Geographically, it is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. It can be as cold as - 38.1 degrees Celsius in winter. 

Fun in Harbin

Special historical processes and a favorable geographical position created Harbin a beautiful city, touched with a hint of exoticism: it brings together the histories and cultures of northern minorities and assimilates Russian and Eastern European flavors as well. 

Harbin TV Tower

Harbin has lovely scenery and distinct seasons. Sun Island, the Siberian Tiger Park, Stalin Park, Erlong Mountain Scenic Spot, Yuquan Hunting Centre, Zhongyang Street, St. Sophia Cathedral, the Confucian Temple, and the Jile Buddhist Temple are famous tourist resorts. 

Besides, the city has the world-renowned "Harbin Summer Concert" and the Harbin Trade Fair held annually. Endowed with a frigid climate, Harbin also boasts many attractions for winter tour, such as the high mountain skiing resorts in Yabuli and Erlongshan, Ice Lantern Fair at the Zhaolin Park, the winter swimming on the Songhua River as well as the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculptures Competition held every year.

Festivals in Harbin

Harbin Ice Lantern Festival

Harbin Ice Lantern Festival: The Harbin Ice Lantern Festival is Harbin's main claim to fame these days. Every January, Zhaolin Park and the banks of the Songhua River, as well as Sun Island Park, become home to extraordinarily detailed, imaginative and downright wacky snow and ice sculptures. Tourists can enjoy many kinds of fantastic and exciting activities like skiing and winter swimming during the festival.

They range from huge recreations of iconic buildings, such as the Forbidden City, to animals and interpretations of ancient legends. At night they're lit up with colored lights to create a magical effect.

It might be mind-numbingly cold and the sun disappears mid-afternoon, but the festival, which also features figure-skating shows and a variety of winter sports, is Harbin's main tourist attraction - and prices jump accordingly. Officially, the festival gets going on 5 January and runs for a month, but it sometimes starts earlier and often lasts longer, weather permitting.

Harbin Summer Music Concert

Harbin Summer Music Concert: it is a national concert festival, which is held on August 6 every two years for a period of 10~11 days. During the concert, multiple evenings, concert, race and activities are held. The artists come from all over the world. The 'Harbin Summer Music Month', which was then renamed as 'Harbin Summer Music Concert', was held in August 1958. The first formal Concert was held on August 5, 1961 in Harbin Youth Palace, and kept on every year until 1966 when the Cultural Revolution started in China. In 1979, the Concert was recovered and from 1994, it has been held every two years. In 2008, the 29th Harbin Summer Music Concert was held on August 6.

Tasty Feast in Harbin

Harbin has a diverse and rich dining culture, with years of culinary development from the Jin and Yuan dynasties, local delicacies from the mountains and the products of multiculturalism in modern times. 

Xiaoji Dun Mogu

Influenced mainly by local people, minority cultures, and Russian style, Harbin food features the following two characteristics: firstly, traditional Harbin food uses the cooking methods of steaming, braising, grilling, roasting and stir-frying. The taste is slightly salty compared to Cantonese Cuisine. 

Dishes are based on local delicacies from the mountains. Recommended dishes include Pa Qietiao (grilled eggplant with honey miso sauce and sesame seeds), Xiaoji Dun Mogu (stewed chick with mushroom), Zhurou Dun Fentiao (braised pork with Vermicelli) and Jiang Gujia (braised spare ribs in brown sauce). Dumplings from Northeastern China can not be missed. 

Secondly, Harbin’s dining culture became more multicultural with influences from Russia, Italy, France and Denmark. Russian bread, sausage, cheese, and cornichon are all popular western style foods in the city. Authentic Russian style restaurants can be found on Central Street and nearby.

Nightlife of Harbin

Nightlife in Harbin frankly is a little disorganized: but it is more permissive, more relaxed and more colorful than daily life. Harbin’s young generation, like young people in any other city, spend their evenings searching for release. They are the producers and actors of excitement. The most popular night venues for young people include bars, KTVs, and cinemas. Harbin people are generally good at Russian songs and most of them can seriously and emotively sing one or two of these. 

Er Ren Zhuan

But if you prefer quiet places, where you can talk and relax, perhaps a café is a better option. Older people might like to dance for exercise in the square or in the park. But if you are not interested in any of these activities, just go to the Liu Laogen Grand Stage and enjoy the drama of Er Ren Zhuan, a local kind of lively folk art. Central Street is considered the most popular street for bars in Harbin. Many unique bars and pub are scattered there.

Top 10 Things to do in Harbin

1. St. Sofia Orthodox Church: the largest orthodox church in Far East Region.

2. Central Street: it is a rare architectural art corridor in China. It is also one of the longest pedestrian streets in Asia.

St. Sofia Orthodox Church

3. Ice & Snow World: A large-scale ice and snow theme park with ice and snow artistic landscapes, entertainment activities, ice lanterns and night views, etc. It is one of the world's largest ice architecture parks.

4. Sun Island: Lying on north bank of Harbin Songhua River, the Sun Island is elegant and well-known with a melodious song of on the Sun Island.

5. Yabuli Ski Resort: The largest world class tourist ski resort in China which gives you an unforgettable winter holiday.

6. Jile Buddhist Temple: the biggest Buddhist temple in the northeast area of China. It is the place for Buddhists worship.

7. Summer Music Concert: it is a national concert festival, which is held on Aug. 6th every two years for a period of 10 to 11 days.

Velvet Antler

8. Harbin Beer: Harbin Beer should be the earliest beer brand in China and it is still popular all over the country.

9. Ginseng and Velvet Antler: Harbin is near Great Khingan and Mt. Changbaishan. Quality ginseng and velvet antler are notable local products.

10. Ice Lantern: Zhaoling Park is an ideal place to appreciate the colorful and crystal ice lanterns. It’s one of the most popular parts of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is the ice lanterns and sculptures found in Zhaolin Park.

Dreamed of a pure white snow world? Raising interests from my description of this great winter glamour city? Why not come to Harbin in winter to experience it all? Playing in the world of snow will be great and romantic that let you forget about cold weather. In a world, Harbin will be your best choice to enjoying a winter trip in China.

Hong Kong Carnival IV: 2012 Hong Kong Winter Shopping Festival & Gourmet Carnival

In the last articles, we have talked about the beautiful attractions in Hong Kong. If you visit Hong Kong, there is a must-do in your journey-Shopping. As you know, Hong Kong is famous as shopping Paradise. In the chapter, we will talk about the Hong Kong Winter Shopping Festival & Gourmet Carnival.

                                                         Chapter Four

2012 Hong Kong Winter Shopping Festival & Gourmet Carnival

Activity Time: December 23-26th, 2012
Place: Hall1 & Hall 3 of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center
Price: 10HKD

Features of the Festival: This year, the exhibition of Hong Kong Winter Shopping Festival & Gourmet Carnival divides into four themes: clothing, eating, living and traveling. All the sets of the festival will fulfill your shopping lust. 

「Winter Gourmet Carnival」will maintain its high standard, variable but cheap price style, delicious food on sale will set up places for tasting. Moreover, this year is the International Wine Carnival which shows good wine home and abroad. If you’re a gourmet lover, you can not miss this food festival. The good looking and tasty food will make you mouth watering. It’s also a good chance to buy special food gift for family and friends.  

Shopping in Hong Kong

「The 5th Household Appliances & 3C Products Exhibition」 in the hall will show the latest and advanced 3C products for you to follow the trends. The professional AV hall and the Smart 3C showroom will let you easily find out the one you want most.  

 「The 12th Furnishing Fashion Expo」 is a prefecture for home furnishing. One-stop shopping experience of furniture here will let you choose grand and high quality goods to well decorate your own home. 

「Excellence Brand Hall」shows you fashionable products including cosmetics, clothing, ornaments, fashion magazine, health products, etc. Varies new fashion goods will let you know about the trend of the world in different fields and enjoy the great funs they bring to your life. 

In addition, every day, there are many different kinds of surprise activities for you to take part in to have fun. Purchases will take on in limited time to let you enjoy the buying stimulations. 

Below I will also introduce some travel tips and general Hong Kong shopping information for you to have a glimpse of this great Shopping paradise. 

--As we all know, Hong Kong is a "paradise for shoppers." You can find everything you could possibly need and even things you don't need. It doesn't take long to figure out that it is not only tourists who love shopping in this awesome city because people living in Hong Kong love it as well. Shopping malls and streets are full of people shopping. This is especially true on the weekends. 

Looking for some chic clothes or some real designer clothes? With long opening hours, you can literary shop all day and night by going from one mall to the next and go to street markets or the fashionable shops in any of the high-end stores. There is something for every wallet and every desire. Not only the women will have the time of their life, but also the guys can come home with cool new gadgets because you can find the latest on the market in Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong is perhaps the best shopping place in the world with reasonable prices, various products, and best service. In Hong Kong, shopping is not only the act of buying things, but also a form of recreation, a way of life. 

Most goods from all over the world, except wine and cigarettes, are tax free, and prices are relatively low. In addition, every year there are lots of seasonal promotions and sales. 

The best three buys are clothes, cosmetics and electrical appliances. Shops in Hong Kong offer not only goods but also a comfortable shopping environment, as they combine shopping and recreation. 

Many shopping malls have restaurants, book stores, and cinemas, some large ones even have skating rinks. Some book stores have a café, enabling customers to choose their favorite books in a relaxed atmosphere. 


                                           Hong Kong Shopping Malls

New Town Plaza

Hanging out in shopping malls is one of the favorite past times for local Hong Kongers, and this city has shopping centers everywhere. New ones are coming up as we write, so there is always room for more people to shop. The malls offer all brands from top to bottom and have a variety of shops selling everything from clothes, cosmetics, books, music, electronics and sports. In addition, there are a lot of places to sit down for a meal of fast food or international cuisine at the higher quality restaurants. 

Some of the malls in Hong Kong such as Pacific Place in Admiralty, New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, and Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong also have theaters. If you want to try something unusual, you can go ice skating in Kowloon Tong too. Ocean Terminal is also a huge shopping center that is located conveniently by the Star Ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. 

Hong Kong Island has some of the area's best malls in a big area stretching from Central District to Causeway Bay, and the priciest malls are next to each other in Central District. These luxury malls are the Landmark and the new IFC Mall that is under the IFC skyscraper. The Landmark was once considered the ritziest and poshest luxury mall, but now the IFC Mall is the ritziest. Access to Central District is easy via the Star Ferry terminal in Central or the Central MTR station. From the Star Ferry terminal in Central, there is a long covered walkway above the ground that goes directly to the IFC skyscraper. 

New IFC Mall

On the island, there are also parks, good free zoos, natural parks and beaches, hiking areas, and the big and renovated Ocean Park amusement park. So along with shopping, you can recreate and have some fun. Strolling around the area, you can see the British Colonial buildings and visit the parks and zoos. Much of the island is covered by public forest land that makes the island scenery beautiful and that makes for good and safe natural hiking areas. All of these attractions on the one island make the place a good place go shopping with kids. The boat restaurants at Aberdeen are famous for the seafood cuisine. 

                                          Hong Kong Street Markets

Flower Market

Hong Kong is known for its many markets where you can find everything from flowers, goldfish, jade, clothes and purses. Although often crowded, these markets are exciting and are a must to visit when in Hong Kong. If you venture out and around the Mong Kok area in Kowloon, there are several street markets. Temple Street Night Market, Ladies Market and Jade Market are located here and are worth exploring. In addition, the flower market and goldfish market are fun to look at. It might be time to test your bargaining skills in these colorful streets that offer a wide variety of products. Another market is Fa Yuen Street that is also known as sportswear street where you can find everything trendy in sportswear and equipment. 

Hong Kong Island also has several smaller shopping streets with small stalls located both in Central and Wan Chai area. This makes it easy to stop by on your way through. If you want to experience the feel of a stall-filled small street in China in Hong Kong, if you take the long escalator that goes up Victoria Peak called the Mid-levels Escalator from the IFC Mall area, you'll find narrow streets below it filled with stalls and small shops. 

Stanley market 

Stanley market that is on the south side of Hong Kong Island is also worth a visit. The market used to be an old fishing village, and the lanes here are packed with Chinese artwork, souvenirs, and larger-sized clothing. The scenic trip out there is beautiful, and Stanley offers more than just shopping. Take a walk along the water front and enjoy and good meal. If you schedule your visit for Stanley's Dragon Boat Festival on June 6, 2011, June 23, 2012, or June 12, 2013, you can watch the exciting Stanley Dragon Boat Races that are the biggest in Hong Kong as well. Dragon boats are long boats paddled by teams of about 22 people. 

                                          High-end Brands in Hong Kong

Luxury brands are of high demand in Hong Kong, and they are very popular among the tourists and the people of Hong Kong themselves. Also, a lot mainland Chinese are now heading to the ritzy stores to shop for the luxury goods. So if the latest models of purses or clothes from these luxury brands are on the top of your list, this is the place to shop. On the Kowloon side, Canton road is one of the places to shop. Crossing the bay, Central offers more. On Chater Road, Pedder Street and Des Vouex Road in Central offer luxury brands’ shops for you. With a growing number of shoppers from mainland China, these stores offer the latest in fashion. 

Sai Yeung Choi Street

Electronics 
People in Hong Kong have a high demand for quality electronics. Therefore, the latest is always available when it comes to cameras, computers, printers, mobile phones, music and gadgets. Stanley Street on Hong Kong Island and Sai Yeung Choi Street on the Kowloon side are where the professional photographers prefer to go for new lenses or cameras. However, Hong Kong is full of stores offering all kinds of electronics for every level from the snap-shot photographers to the most advanced. Most audio and video equipment stores have a wide variety of the major brands and let you try them for comparison in the shop. When it comes to computers, Windsor House shopping center in Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island and Star House in Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui are two locations that have several floors devoted to hardware, software and accessories. The Star House is easy to get to since it is only about 200 meters away from the Star Ferry terminal.? In addition, Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Causeway Bay and Sham Shui Po are famous for their exciting computer markets where you can find everything you need from plugs to cables and jacks. Check prices and shop around. 

                                           Hong Kong Cosmetics

In the bigger shopping malls in Central in Hong Kong, you can find most brands of cosmetics. These stores offer you more service and are willing to cater to your needs. Prices are often good, and you can find both Asian and Western brands alike. If you want something less expensive, the stores Colourmix, Sasa, and Bonjour can be found all over Hong Kong, and they have a reasonable range of products both for make-up and skin care. These stores are worth a bargain hunt. 

Citygate Mall

      Outlet Stores in Hong Kong

Not quite willing to spend too much money on shopping, but want something good? Pressed for time before leaving or have a long layover? Hong Kong has several outlet stores. One of them is Citygate that is conveniently located in Tung Chung on Lantau Island and is only 5 minutes from the airport. The big mall has several of the big brands of sports attire, cosmetics and clothes. In addition, there are several restaurants and a big food court to sit down at for a little something to eat. Citygate Mall also has several outlet stores for high-end brands.