Temperatures can drop to minus 30C at night, but such sights are the result.

Sightseeing in Northeast China in Brief:
There are three provinces of Northeast China - Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. They were all part of the former Manchurian dynasty that ruled China from 1644 until the collapse of imperial rule in 1912.

Over the centuries the frontiers have fluctuated and in more recent history the Russians tried to annexe part of Manchuria and build some of the Trans-Siberian Railway before the Japanese occupation in the 1930's. The Japanese occupation ended after the second world war and after this period came industrialisation under Chairman Mao and a relationship with Russia that initially was peaceful, then deteriorated, but over the last 30 years has mended. The North East of China has not really been on the tourist map and it really is time it was explored and appreciated!

How to get the best out of the North East of China in Winter:

We suggest travelling within the country by train as you get to see more of the isolated vastness of this part of China. When the space feels too much, the cities of these three provinces are fascinating in their different ways. Below is a brief synopsis of each. However if time is precious and you are not on an extended visit to China, we would recommend that you leave out Liaoning Province and Jilin Province and head to the capital of Heilongjiang Province - Harbin. Also, although technically not part of the Northeast of China, but still a Province of the North - you really should make time to visit Beijing. As mentioned before the international flights are least expensive if flying into Beijing, so it is a good opportunity to explore before returning home.

Of course all these provinces are fascinating in a completely different way in the summer - Dalian City (Liaoning Province) is renown for its dynamism, attractive lawns and stunning beaches…..but this would be wasted on the winter visitor - again Heilongjiang Province has one of the most famous National Parks in China with wonderful trekking opportunities and an abundance of wildlife - however in winter it is too cold for trekking when the reward of sighting wildlife is snatched from you - the majority of it is hibernating or migrated south. What you are doing by travelling to China in the winter is seeing the other face and it is intriguing.

Enroute to Yabuli ski resort by train - the coldest job manning the level crossing.


View from the train of a village near to Yabuli
(plastic sheets and bricks are used to cover the windows in winter to help keep out the cold.)

Shenyang:

This is the capital of Liaoning Province. Today it is the largest city in the Northeast and a business hub. It rose in prominence with the rise in the Manchu dynasty in 1625 (when it was known as Mukden) as it was their first capital before they established the Manchu court in Beijing. Here in Shenyang the Manchu built the Imperial palace which rivals Beijing's Forbidden City. It can be visited easily enroute to the ski slopes by factoring in one more day on the itinerary and is open daily. It has UNESCO World Heritage Site Status.

Jilin:

Unlike its name suggests this city is not the capital of Jilian Province (Changchun is), but it is famous for its extraordinary 'shugua'. This is the crystals that form on the branches of the trees along the Songhua River. The reason being that when the Japanese occupied Jilin (known as Kirin then) between 1931 and 1945, they built an enormous hydro-electric power station up river of Jilin and the warm water from the power station raises the river temperature enough to stop it freezing over. As the moisture from the warmer air just above the water vapourises it condenses on the branches and rims them in a dense hoare frost. Jilin, is however an industrial city and apart from the shugua, which only happens when it is cold enough (Dec, Jan.) and on a day with blue skies is truly stunning, there is not a huge amount to commend it. Unless you are into meteorites as it's museum houses the largest in the world. It is a cleaner version of Changchun, the capital city city of Jilin.

Changchun:

the capital of Jilin Province is a coal mining and car manufacturing city amongst many other industries. It has the contrasts of sky rise buildings, shopping malls and run down workers housing. The pollution can not be escaped - the snow in the streets is a dirty grey, black, so that when you walk into the smarter buildings in the city a trail of black is left on the marble floors. A city of shopping extremes, street vendors jostled by crowds right outside opulent malls and a supermarket that imports every luxury you could wish for. Even marmite! We felt that this particular city should be given a miss in both winter and summer.

Harbin:

the capital of Heilongjiang Province is a must see! We highly recommend that this is a central feature to your visit to China in winter. This wonderful capital city has a lovely mixture of cultures and plenty to do and see. The annual ice festival of Harbin lasts from January 5th until February 25th and the central park (Zhaolin Park) is transformed into a 'son allumiere' of glittering ice sculptures. All around the city are ice carvings - some are sculpted dragons around lamp posts, some carved swans as a central feature to a roundabout - other carvings are horses, ships or famous buildings and temples. It also has pre-revolutionary Russian architecture, with plenty of shops and cobbled pedestrianised streets to explore. The Songhua River here in Harbin freezes over completely, so you can walk across it. You can cross to Sun Island Park, where there are more snow sculptures.