Last winter was my first northern hemisphere winter, and come Xmas holidays last year, the last direction I was going to head was further north(I went south to Sanya on Hainan island instead). This year I thought I had better go while I am still so close.
The first warning to how cold this place was, was when we were advised by the flight crew to put on a coat because "the outside air temperature is relatively cool". It was minus 21C ! Glad it wasn't bloody COLD! Then we get outside the (very chilly)airport and the plants are in holders sculptured out of blocks of ice. The streets are lined with ice sculptured road markers, statues and ornaments. The vapour from exhaust gas is frozen on the ground when a car spends any time in one place (which made car parks and intersections an interesting experience).
Three days was enough but it was well and truly worth seeing, and feeling. The warmest temp of the whole time was around -18 and dipped back to minus 30 or so at night. The city itelf is no reason really to visit, but the Snow sculpture competition in Zhaolin Park in the city were really good. Across the frozen Songhua river is Stalin Park with the ice block buildings, snow and ice slides and Shrine. Another competition, this time with snow, is across from Stalin Park where different countries scuplted all sorts of interesting things to look at.
Chinese New Year (Monday 26th - Australia Day) was celebrated as only Chinese New Year can be .... with a lot of fireworks. It was an experience to look out the window of a twentieth floor hotel room at fireworks going off all around, over and at you. We bought some early and carried them around most of the afternoon in a couple of plastic shopping bags and a day pack, lightening the load occasionally as we saw fit.
Like I said earlier though, three days was enough of that weather and it was back to the warmer climate in Beijing for a few days and back to home in Weihai.
