Freezing Harbin is hot in winter(2)

St Sophia's Church

Tickets: 20 yuan

Bus: Routes 1, 2, 13, 15, 64, 66, 113

Central Street

Ski resort

The Yabuli International Ski Resort, 200 kilometers east of Harbin, is the biggest and best ski resort in China. At 1,3474 meters, it provides great skiing with high mountains and tracks for both competition and leisure skiing.

Yabuli is a training center for China's alpine skiiers and international competitions have been held there. The snow is neither too hard nor too powdery. Snow falls for around 170 days. The best time to ski is between November to late March.

A German-built tram takes skiiers to the top. The competitive skiing section reaches 1,374 meters and meets international standards. The leisure skiing section is only around 1,000 meters and it's safe for learners. Professional coaches are available.

Yabuli International Ski Resort

Cost: 200-240 yuan for two hours, 500-600 yuan for full day

Skiing instruction: 200-240 yuan for 2 hours. Recommended tip: 100 yuan

Getting from Harbin to Yabuli

Special Ski Train K7047 departs daily at 8:08am from Harbin East Railway Station, returns at 4:08pm.

Visitors can take tour buses to Yabuli Town, leaving Harbin Longyun Passenger Station; trip takes three hours. From Yabuli, take a mini-bus for a 20-minute ride to the resort.

How to get there:

An airport and several high-speed rail routes connect Harbin to Jilin, Liaoning Province, Beijing and Shanghai. A new rail route from Shanghai takes only 13 hours, compared with more than 30 hours several years ago.

What to eat:

Tatoc Pectopah

Address: 127 Central Ave

Tel: 0451-8468-8855

Qiulin Shop

Famous for garlic sausage.

Address: 365 Guogeli Rd

Where to stay:

The Modern Hotel Harbin

One of the landmarks in Harbin. Excellent location on Central Avenue with Europe-style decor.

Address: 89 Central Avene

Tel: 0451-8488-4099

Price: 978 yuan/night

Hanting Express Hotel

Opposite railway station, clean.

Address: 35 Songhuajiang Rd

Tel: 0451-5364-5577

Price: 246 yuan/night

Grace Inn

Near Central Avenue and railway station, many restaurants and shops nearby, clean.

Address: 365 Chengde Rd

Tel: 0451-8559-8000

Price: 160 yuan/night

Tips:

Clothing: Warm, layers, water-proof boots

Taxis: At peak, taxis are shared; it's legal.

Photography: Do not open cameras immediately on entering a warm room after being out in the cold. Because it will steam up the lens and mechanism, damaging the camera.