Harbin Travel Tips
Climate and Weather
Harbin is located in the temperate zone, it has continental climate and with long winters and short summers. It has annually average temperature 4C, annually average Rainfall precipitation of 600mm, concentrated on June, July and August.
Local Festivals and Folk Custom
Harbin Ice Festival
Harbin Ice Festival is held in Harbin annually. Usually falling on January 5 and lasting a month, the festival exerts a strong draw on both local residents and visitors. During the period of the Festival, The city boasts its neat, impressive and artistic ice and snow sculptures, carvings, and buildings in parks and on frozen rivers. World famous monuments like some grand cathedrals, pyramids, Potala Palace and the Great Wall are all carved out of ice, in spectacularly giant sizes! Some of them, embedded with colored lights, are designed for nighttime observation. Skiing and Ice sliding are popular activities in the occasion.
China Heilongjiang Forest Eco-rafting Festival
Period: July (yearly)
Location: Major rafting sections in the province
Activities: 10,000 people participating rafting; horse riding; angling and a few other leisure activities.
China Snow City Mudanjiang Snow Castle Tour
Period: January (yearly)
Location: Jiangxin Islet in Jiangbin Park, Mudanjiang
Activities: largescale folk-custom performance, on-the ice wedding, ice and snow entertainment.
Harbin Lolk Art Fair
Period: June 15 to 21
Location: Harbin Architectural Art Museum
Activities: Tree-root art works, stone sculptures, wood carvings, bronze wares, papercuttings, straw and willow products.
Arrival
By Air
Harbin Flights
Located 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) northwest of Harbin City, Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB) is the second largest airport in northeastern China at present. Formerly known as Yanjiagang Airport , Harbin Airport was first built in 1979 and underwent considerable expansion between 1994 and 1997. It achieved the status of an international airport in 1984 and serves as one of the most important transportation hubs for northeastern China. Currently, the airport is well equipped to handle 6 million passengers annually and has more than 50 air routes covering over 40 Domestic and International cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changsha, Seoul, Osaka, Vladivostok and Los Angeles.
The airport has two terminals, domestic and international. Auxiliary facilities are offered in the airport, including duty-free shops, shops of local products, restaurants, airport lounges, lost&found and information desk. The automatic check-in counter is provided at the information desk of China Southern Airlines, 2F, Terminal Building.
In the terminal buildings, all the toilets are specially designed for the disabled. An infant room is located nearby No. 8 boarding gate providing children entertainment place and nursing room without full-time keeper.
Tips: Airport transfers into Harbin take about an hour by shuttle bus, and about half an hour by taxi, the latter of which will cost about RMB100. It is advisable to arrive at least 2 hours in advance of your flight.
By Train
Harbin Train Schedule
Harbin has two railway stations; Harbin Railway Station, located at No.1, Tielu Jie, Nangang District was originally Songjiang Railway Station, and was built by the USSR, it now plays a vital role as a transfer station. The other is the Harbin Eastern Railway Station which is the terminus for trains both departing, and arriving in Harbin. Here, you can take trains to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Jinan, etc.
Inquiring Number: 0451-86420115
Tips: Harbin Railway Station allows visitors to buy tickets up to 7 days prior to departure, or alternatively, you can conveniently book tickets at any star rated hotel which offers a ticket-booking service.