During our short trip in Harbin, we spent a lot of time on Zhong Yang Da Jie (Central Street). If there’s one thing you can do in freezing winter weather, it is to walk. A lot 🙂
As one of the longest pedestrian walkways in China, it is cobbled-stone, with shops and restaurants to both sides. Beautiful European architecture still intact, as Harbin was built by Russian engineers and architects back in the day. Read it more on wiki.
We spent the whole of the first day walking along, checking the shops. I recommend the ice-cream block store in the photos below. It’s so popular, hoards of tourists and locals queue for it. It’s about minus 15 degree celcius during the day, and nothing beats having a creamy vanilla ice block melting in your mouth 😉
As it was the Ice and Snow festival, there were lots of ice sculptures around the street. Don’t attempt to stick on it and have a Lloyd Christmas moment 😀
So cool to see ice-blocks being sold in carved ice tables, in the open! Here’s a shot of Mr Mustard with local ear muffs 🙂 The lady doesn’t seem very happy about me taking this photo, hee hee.
We actually watched this little boy being carved out of compacted snow. It was amazing.
It must had been the night of the second day, when we came back to Central Street for a stroll. This is when all the exciting food comes out. Crickets, sago worms, beetles. You name it, they have it.
And just in case you wanted a close-up…..
No I didn’t have them. My brothers did. Hee hee.
And to end the post, here’s a lovely shot of a mum swinging her kid.
If you were to pick a city to go to in China – and don’t mind the cold, definitely give Harbin a shot.
Awesome !!! 🙂