images

harbin

（ha' er bin)

哈尔滨

Winter, 2001

I taught a group of junior high school students in Panjin during winter holiday, 2001. It was COLD (-15 C/ 5 F) but the students' hearts warmed me up. Prior to beginning the Winter English Camp, a group of the Panjin Students and I toured Harbin - The Ice Festival Capital of China where it was even COLDER:

 -30 C/-22 F  To see our Panjin pictures, go to the Panjin Gallery.

Harbin is the capital city of China's northernmost province. It is quite near Russia so the architecture of the city resembles Russia. It's also the closest major city to Russia's Siberia. The weather is Siberian. It is COLD!!!! But Harbin is famous for it's Ice and Snow Festival where, every year, they turn large parts of the city into .... well .... an Ice and Snow Wonderland.

But, in fact, the city is also COOL! Way Cool!.

Here are some pictures from our trip to the Harbin Ice Festival. - a cold, cool, and AMAZING place to visit.

<REMEMBER: Click on the small picture to see the Big Picture.>

Mr. Jin, I and some Panjin students among the snow sculptures on "Sun Island" across the Songhua River from downtown Harbin.

This is REAL:
Here you can see an ice replica the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. Through the arch is a replica of Mount Everest and Lhasa in Tibet. Everything here in the Harbin Ice Festival is made from snow and ice.

It was -30 C (-22 F) while I was in Harbin. I needed a heavy-duty hat. I have been accused many times of having a big head. Harbin proved that. I'm not proud of this picture, but I had to visit at least a dozen hat sellers before I finally found a hat to keep my big head and big ears warm.   BTW, that's the Ice Arc De Triomphe over my right shoulder and the "Ice Mount Everest" in the background. Again, all man-made - of ice and snow..

Everything in the foreground is made of Harbin Ice and Snow. The background buildings are downtown Harbin.

Ice Castle in Harbin

My Panjin students enjoy Teeter-Totter in sub-zero (like -30C) Harbin.

panjin pictures