Harbin is a sub-provincial city and the capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. It lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Harbin is ranked as the tenth largest city in China, serving as a key political, economic, scientific, and cultural and communications centre of North-eastern China.

The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival have been held since 1985. It starts from January 5th and lasts one month. There is ice Lantern Park touring activities held in many parks in the city. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli Alpine Skiing, winter-swimming in Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous. Enjoying a Ice cream in the freezing cold is one of Harbin’s unique pastimes.

Harbin is the most northeastern and coldest provincial capital in China. The city has a long cold winter and short cool summers. Rainfall here is pretty minimal and even winters are surprisingly dry. The heaviest periods of rain fall between July and August. Snow starts as early as November and the coldest month is January.

It is possible to visit Harbin all year round (although in deepest winter make sure you are adequately prepared - it is impossible to stay outside for extended periods of time). Most people visit in summer (July-September) for the exceptionally cool weather and in winter (November-February) for the breathtaking Ice Lantern Festival.

Harbin Airport has regular flights to cities in Russia, South Korea, and Japan.

Harbin is the second largest Railway hub in northeast China after Shenyang. Numerous trains depart and arrive at Harbin everyday.    From Harbin, direct trains runs to Dalian, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Changchun, Tianjin and Shenyang. There are also express trains to other provincial destinations in Heilongjiang such as Jiamusi, Qiqihar, Suihuan and Mudanjiang.

There are two major train stations in Harbin. Harbin Main Station and East Harbin Station. Most of the inter-provincial trains use Harbin Station in the northeast of the city on Tielu Jie.You should be able to get to the station in a taxi from most places in the city.

Trains Into Siberia and Russia: From northern Heilongjiang there are crossing points into Siberia. From Harbin take train Y215 to Heihe (leaves 6.30 pm/12 hours). From here, you can get into Russia (with all the right paperwork). Train Y216 leaves Heihe and heads back to Harbin at 9pm daily. You can also take the train from Harbin to Suifenhe (departs 9.15 pm) from where a ten-hour bus journey will take you on to Vladivostok. Be warned that all these routes are difficult, in almost all aspects. Visas for Siberia and Russia should be arranged in Beijing, although some travellers report that they have managed to get them in Shenyang. To get the Visa, all accommodation in Russia must be prearranged so the whole thing can work out to be pretty costly.

Because of the remote location of Harbin, it is not easy to travel to and from central China to Harbin by bus. However, regular buses link the city with other provincial capitals such as Changchun and Shenyang. There is also access by bus from here to Mudanjiang, Jiamusi, Daqing and Hegang.

Harbin cuisine tends to feature hearty, robust food with strong flavours. Condiments and seasonings are rarely used so that the original flavours of the main ingredients come through. Typical Harbin delicacies include red cooked sturgeon, grilled dog meat, red-cooked boar meat, braised deer tail, stewed hedgehog fungus, braised pork seasoned with soy sauce, and sweet-and-sour bean sheet jelly. The Harbin sausages are well loved from this region.