Harbin (Hā'ěrbīn, 哈尔滨) is full of surprises. The snow-capped onion domes and facades are more Petersburg or Paris than Peking, and with winding cobblestone streets, fantastically lit winter ice castles and modern Chinese economic vitality, Harbin is an incredibly warm and welcoming place for a city situated on the edge of Siberia. Best known for the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (more commonly referred to as the Harbin Ice Festival, plain and simple), this unique city is beginning to make a name for itself for its other qualities, from the distinct Russian architecture typified by the Church of St. Sophia, to nearby skiing hotspots like Yabuli, to the concession-era "gallery of European architecture" found along Zhongyang Dajie, a cobblestone-paved pedestrian street. Harbin's shopping is easily the best in northeastern China, t... more >>