#90 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College- Ice and Snow in Haerbin- Around Town

Asia » China » Heilongjiang » Harbin
May 2nd 2008

Published: May 2nd 2008

Have you ever been somewhere sooooo cold that your eyelashes temporarily froze together? This was one of the more unusual experiences I had on a visit to Haerbin/Harbin in the North East of China this past January! Part of the joy of travelling is in setting personal challenges in order to stretch your boundaries of comfort. This is how, I, as a woman from the sub-tropics of Queensland, Australia... Read Full Entry

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Susan Storr

Sue Treadie

This blog was started in 2006 when I embarked on a new life adventure teaching English in China. It was a wonderful, enriching and enlightening experience. Many of you came on this journey with me. For those of you who are searching for more meaning and satisfaction in your life and feel that teaching languages overseas might fit the bill, I enthusiastically encourage you to take up the challenge as I did nine years ago. You will never regret it. In fact you will probably say "Why didn't I do this years ago?" I then began a journal of my journey home to Australia- the long way round! U... full info

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Historic Building

All along the river parkland there are scattered a number of small wooden buildings representing classic Russian wooden architecture. This particular building now acts as a public restroom, but unfortunately for me, it was locked for the season!

Russian Villa Sun Island

More Russian architecture can be found on Sun Island, part of Sun Island Park ((Taiyang Dao Gongyuan) located on the northern bank of the Songhua River. This particular villa is circa 1930.

Tourist village or not?

Many of the dwellings on Sun Island are summer retreats, but they have been built in similar style to the historically preserved villas, some of which have been converted to galleries and mini- museums.

Museum in Classical Russian Architecture

Hard to imagine I was in China! As with many of the "cultural" offerings on the island, this museum was, disappointingly closed for the season.

Russian Grand Theatre

Unfortunately, also closed for the season!

Favourite Chinglish sign on Sun Island

Click to enlarge!

Grand piano

This wooden replica grand piano attracts a lot of amusing "photo opportunities"!

Matryoshka dolls in topiary

Clever "garden sculpture" helps to continue the Russian atmosphere.

View back to Haerbin City from Sun Island

Ice highway across the frozen Songhua River.

Walking back over the Songhua River at dusk

Time to head back as the mercury plummeted towards -30 degrees C!

Sunset

Last view before hurrying back to thaw out in my hotel for a couple of hours!

Temple of Bliss (Jile Si)

The largest Buddhist group of buildings in Heilongjiang is located at the eastern end of Dongdazhi Jie which has been turned into a pedestrian plaza outside the temple complex. As well as being an extremely popular tourist destination within Harbin, the complex has an active Buddhist community in residence.

Buddhist Pagoda

This multi-tiered pagoda features thousands of Buddha images on it's exterior walls.

Buddhist pagoda close-up

A closer look at the detail.

Ethnographic Museum

Relatively new and little known to most visitors to Harbin is the Heilongjiang Museum of Nationalities an ethnographic museum located on Wenmiao Jie. It is part of the Wen Temple Scenic Spot area (actually housed in the previous Wen temple complex), about a 10-15 minute walk east of the Temple Of Bliss Complex (Jile Si)

Grounds of the ethnographic museum

It took a bit of convincing for the caretakers to open up one of the buildings for me. This despite the fact I had paid 15RMB for entry! There is currently only a very limited display of items, so I imagine it can only improve over time as donations are received and catalogued.

3rd May 2008

Hans
non-member comment

It WAS a cold winter in all of China.
Thank you Sue for your insightful adventure to Harbin. When you were in the North of China during the coldest winter in 50 years, my visit to the tropical Province of Hainan in the South of China also experienced frigid temperatures, though not on the scale you have described. I appreciate your photos, look forward to your second part of your journal entry, and hope to visit Harbin in the coming winter. How lucky we are, that we now have direct rail connections from Taizhou to Harbin. Thanks for your wonderful photos. How much I will miss you when you depart China this summer!

3rd May 2008

Kuntfoo
non-member comment

Hey you are travellin' the world!....
Hey Treadmill Unless Eskimo Nell was a relative ...you will have ta 'get more gear on '....to survive around Harbin in the frozen North of Zhong Guo!... I thought that minus ten was good enough for me and my Tasmanian 'brass monkeys ' (on the Great Wall earlier on in January 2008!....) Perhaps wearing many more lower strung necklaces will help your nipples from icing up!... Do keep up the news and updated pictures to to your many adoring friends.... Kuntfoo

4th May 2008

Lesley Ritchie
non-member comment

Brings back many great memories
Hi Sue....your photos brings back so many wonderful memories of our trip to Harbin in 2005...nothing can quite prepare you for how absolutely, bone 'chillingly', freezing cold it gets over there. Sorry that we won't be able to catch up with you in China, we won't be there til mid 2009.

6th May 2008

Soggy
non-member comment

Brrrrrr!!!
Very interesting Treadie - gets colder in Birmingham!! :-)) LOL Nice work - see you soon. Norco is over there somewhere right now - so keep an eye out, you never know who is just around the corner. On ON SOGGY

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#90 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College- Ice and Snow in Haerbin- Around Town

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