Travel to and from, and accommodation in, Harbin.

Quote from: psd4fan on December 28, 2008, 03:20:44 AM

This year due to a sponsorship from Disney the carving there will be of famous movie characters.

Why did this suddenly put me off??

Only at Zaho Lin park as far as I know. The Big World of Ice and Snow is still cool.

Dealing with the cold:

The best thing to do is buy one of those long army surplus coats (everyone will laugh  at you and if you have a Chinese significant other they will disown you, but...)

What I am wearing today (in Changchun, farther south than Harbin, but still)

Long sleeve t-shirt

Second long sleeve t-shirt

Collared shirt

Sweater

Scarf

Second Scarf

Hat

longjohns

pants

Socks

Wool socks

Coat

Gloves

Great Harbin info here, I'm glad I found this thread.

The husband and I, both being diehard Southerners, are trying to decide if we're brave enough to go to Harbin over Spring Festival holidays this year. Since we're keen on moving back to Kunming in 2009, my husband thinks this may be our only chance to experience a real Northern winter.

My only reservation is our son, who is 14 months. What I don't want to end up doing is going all the way out to Harbin only to end up cooped up in a hotel room with a baby who can't take the cold.

He can take the cold if you let him.  If he has been outside in Beijing then he can understand cold.  Dress him warm.  Lots of layers.  Especially head and feet - those are often the most neglected areas.  A scarf that goes across the face is good.  At 14 months he is active enough.  There is an ice slide at the small park near the walking street.  He would love that.

Yes it is very cold.  You need to keep moving and dress warmly enough.

Biggest mistake many people in China make is to wear their coats and hats indoors after being outside and before going out again.  That causes sweating which causes damp cloths which can lead to hypothermia.  Definitely a no-no especially in Harbin.

There are places in the big park where you can go inside to warm up.  At an extremely exorbitant price mind you but...   20RMB for a 4 oz cup of horribly gross hot chocolate or coffee.  However, you are out of the cold/wind.

Doing the walking street and the small park would be good enough.  Maybe you could hire an ayi for the evening to babysit him in the hotel and you could go to the big park without him.  If you do that it will be super easy for you.

The time is getting closer, and I am getting really excited.  Hey Bugalugs, are you accessing the internet yet, wherever you are now?  Would love to hear how you enjoyed your stay in Harbin, and where you stayed, what you saw, etc.  I have decided that we will fly from Guangzhou direct to Harbin, and then train to Beijing and on to Xi'an, after a couple or more nights in a great little hostel in Beijing, called Leo Hostel, in the hutong area, only five minutes walk to Tiananmen (sp?) Square.  We stayed there last year, and loved it.  My query is still about accommodation.  Non-Dave's information has been gratefully received, and I have looked at the Wanda Holiday Express hotel, that you recommended.  The map on their site comes up all in Chinese.  Do you know how far it is to walk to the main walking street, that features prominently in all information, and also how far is it to where we can cross the river to the main ice festival?? Or taxi, of course!!  And I will definitely be looking up Ronnie's place, and will tell him that you sent us!!

Once again, thanks so much for the information so far.  Maybe if one of our members is in Harbin, they could check out for me,  the relative position of the hotel I mentioned.  It sounds good, at only 188 for one night (Thursday) and 198 for the other two nights I am interested in!!

Happy winter break to all of you.  I have now finished my responsibilities until mid February, and am looking forward to our travels, and also to showing my Aussie visitor around this little place, which still delights me!!

Lin
Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province
www.mytripjournal.com/linschinatravels
 

Lin,

The hotel is theoretically within walking distance of all these attractions - but realistically, in mid-winter, you'd be crazy to try it!

Taxi's are pretty cheap in Harbin, and pretty reliable when they use the meter. I think, from memory, it's about 10rmb from the hotel to the walking street. The hotel is also pretty close to the Ice & Snow Festival, which is just over the Songhuajiang Highway Bridge. You can also catch bus 102 from in front of the hotel to the bottom of the walking street - 2rmb.

I've scanned a Harbin map for you with the Hotel, the Zhongyang Walking Street, Hamamas Kofi Haus & the bridge that goes to the Ice & Snow Festival highlighted. The map is in English & Chinese and is pretty easy to buy at any of the major hotels for 10RMB - I always get them at the Holiday Inn at the bottom of the walking street.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5vQlMSRrq8lFCQYcELxhvg?feat=directlink

I've also scanned a copy of the Wanda Hotel's brochure with the map and the address (in English & Chinese) in case you want to print it and use it to sow the taxi driver.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/icOGedF0GXvXWaJ-aL9N1g?feat=directlink

Have fun, stay warm and take lots of photos.

Hey psd4fan

I love the map, but is there anywhere to 'click' to change the writing into English?

And thanks for your help, non-Dave.  Yesterday a Chinese friend, and I booked our air tickets, for January 29, and also booked three nights accommodation at the Wanda Holiday Express.  So all is under way, with no problems, thanks to all your help.  The only little problem we had, was needing my friend's passport number, for the plane booking, but a quick phone call to Oz, and we had that sorted too.

Now I am really getting excited, and have begun sorting out my 'very cold weather' clothes, to see that we have enough of everything to share between the two of us!!!

Once again, thanks so much for your help Saloonies!!

Lin
Zhaoqing, Guangdong province
 

I think that's no on the English. Sorry.

He can take the cold if you let him.  If he has been outside in Beijing then he can understand cold.  Dress him warm.  Lots of layers.  Especially head and feet - those are often the most neglected areas.  A scarf that goes across the face is good.  At 14 months he is active enough.  There is an ice slide at the small park near the walking street.  He would love that.

Yes it is very cold.  You need to keep moving and dress warmly enough.

Biggest mistake many people in China make is to wear their coats and hats indoors after being outside and before going out again.  That causes sweating which causes damp cloths which can lead to hypothermia.  Definitely a no-no especially in Harbin.

There are places in the big park where you can go inside to warm up.  At an extremely exorbitant price mind you but...   20RMB for a 4 oz cup of horribly gross hot chocolate or coffee.  However, you are out of the cold/wind.

Doing the walking street and the small park would be good enough.  Maybe you could hire an ayi for the evening to babysit him in the hotel and you could go to the big park without him.  If you do that it will be super easy for you.

That's good to know, although I think we're going to head south this break. Beijing's winter has been disappointing so far, no snow! But cold enough, it has gotten down to -12C or so, and very windy. We're ready for a break from cold temps at this point.

My husband actually says the same thing about coats/hats. He's very big on wearing less indoors than outdoors, and on making sure the baby wears less to bed and more awake. 

I'm heading to Harbin tomorrow night. Looking forward to everything!