The first thing I saw upon exiting the train station in Harbin was a massive ice sculpture of several pigs (to celebrate the impending Chinese New Year), glowing with green light in such a manner they seemed to be dancing to the music spilling from nearby nightclubs. Harbin seemed to be a lively town. In spite of the cold the streets were packed with throngs of people, including a large number of Russian tourists. There was a whirl of flashing neon lights, music, voices, and the honking of cabs outside the train station. We opted to walk in search of a hotel, although the frantic running and dodging necessary to cross most streets in China was much harder on the slick ice. The majority of blocky hotels along the main drag seemed rather seedy, so eventually
... read more
