Last month, I took a weekend trip up to one of the coldest places in China. The capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang (黑龙江) province, Harbin (哈尔滨) literally translates as “a place for drying fish nets.” The 10th largest city in China looks like a mix of China and Russia (俄罗斯), thanks to its complicated history and its proximity to Russia. It has even been given the nickname “Oriental Moscow.” These days, Harbin is known for its bitter cold winters and its world famous Ice and Snow Festival.

我们一放假，就去旅行 – wǒ men yī fàng jià, jiù qù lǚ xíng
As soon as we have a holiday, we go travel.

哈尔滨 – Hā ěr bīn
Harbin

黑龙江 – Hēi lóng jiāng
Heilongjiang

祝大家旅游愉快 – zhù dà jiā lǚ yóu yú kuài
Wishing everyone happy travels.

圣索非亚教堂 – shèng suǒ fēi yà jiào táng
St. Sophia Cathedral

喂小鸟 – wèi xiǎo niǎo
feed the birds

中央大街 – zhōng yāng dà jiē
Central Avenue

冰雪节 – bīng xuě jié
Ice and Snow Festival

冰雪大世界 – bīng xuě dà shì jiè
Ice and Snow World

糖葫芦 – táng hú lu
candied fruit

马拉车 – mǎ lā chē
horse-drawn carriage

迷宫 – mí gōng
maze