Snow Town became popular because of its "snow mushrooms" and red lanterns. For three days and two nights, amidst thick snow and warm yellow lantern shadows, we stepped into a northern fairy tale.
The snow mushrooms in Snow Town are the most magical sight—layers of snow piled up on wooden rooftops, round and plump like cream cakes. Icicles hang from the eaves of every home, and when red lanterns shine, a fairy-tale atmosphere fills the air.
At night, red lanterns light up one after another, and the snowy land is reflected in warm oranges. Walking slowly through knee-deep snow, breathing into white mist, it's hard to tell if it's reality or a stage.
Nearby Snow Valley and Yangcao Mountain are perfect for hiking, with forests and snowfields and rime trees everywhere. Climb to the top to watch the sunrise, where the snowfields are dyed pink gold, and the vastness is truly heartwarming.
Dog sleds and snowmobiles are children's playgrounds, while adults prefer to gather around the stove to cook a pot of pig-slaughtering dishes. Outside the window, it's minus thirty degrees, and inside the house steaming steam—it's the ultimate romantic temperature difference.
The warmth of Snow Town is that even the cold is turned into a festival. When you laugh under the lanterns, breathing white air, you'll understand: the deepest warmth of winter comes precisely from the coldest places.
Route fragment
3 days and 2 nights
- Day 1: Harbin to Snow Town, Snow Mushrooms
- Day 2: Crossing the Snow Valley, Yangcao Mountain
- Day 3: Snow entertainment, return trip