Must-see attractions in Heilongjiang

The signature venue for Harbin's winter-long Ice & Snow Festival is the main reason that both domestic and international travellers chase the cold weather…

The red-brick Russian Orthodox Church of St Sophia, with its distinctive green onion dome and roosting pigeons, is Harbin’s most famous landmark. Built in…

Laohei Shan is the humble zenith of a prehistoric landscape washed clean by hardened lava where ghost-like trees snake up from dormant craters, and…

The cobblestone avenue of Zhongyang Dajie is the most obvious legacy of Russia's involvement with Harbin. Now a pedestrian-only zone running from Jingwei…

This museum is set in the notorious Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base (Division 731). Between 1939 and 1945, prisoners of war and civilians were…

The beautiful old Main Synagogue, built in 1909, has been refurbished as a concert venue. You can buy tickets on-site to a variety of musical performances…

Across the water from Stalin Park is Sun Island, a 38-sq-km recreational zone with landscaped gardens, a ‘water world’, a ‘Russian-style’ town, and…

Zhalong Nature Reserve near Qiqiha'er is the most accessible and most visited of the nature reserves established to protect endangered species of wild…

Walk astride the Russian border in this quaint Chinese village 100km from Beijicun, where wandering souls are welcomed with a glancing smile. No tourist…

Heilongjiang’s largest temple complex has an active Buddhist community in residence, giving it a genuine religious atmosphere despite the ticket sales…

The residents of 'Stone Village' are in fact immobile orbs of rock-hard lava arranged by nature around a forest of white-and-black birch trees. It's…

This synagogue was built in 1921 by the city's Jewish community, the vast majority of whom had emigrated from Russia. Beautifully restored and converted…

This waterfall boasts a 12m drop and 300m span. During the rainy season (June to September), when Diaoshuilou is in full throttle, it’s a spectacular…

Further north from Mohe (roughly 50km) is Beijicun, a sprawling village and recreation area on the banks of the Heilong Jiang, separating China and Russia…

If culture equals amusement, then the creators of this park have certainly ticked all the right boxes. The 110m high Ferris wheel offers panoramic views…

This peaceful temple complex was first built in 1929 and is said to be the largest Confucian temple in northeastern China. Most of what you see now,…

Attached to the Harbin Main Synagogue, this was the first Jewish middle school in the Far East, and has been immaculately restored and reopened as the…

Best seen illuminated at night, this tree-lined promenade, dotted with statues, historic buildings, playgrounds and cafes, runs along part of the 42km…

Despite its name, the Underground Forest isn’t below the earth; instead it has grown within volcano craters that erupted some 10,000 years ago, giving the…

A pleasant green space in the heart of old Harbin, Zhaolin Park comes alive during the Harbin Ice & Snow Festival with its Ice Lantern Display. Tickets…