Author Archives: Janey

Simatai Great Wall

The Simatai Great Wall is the only ancient Great Wall in China that preserves the original appearance of the Ming Great Wall. The Great Wall was built along the ridge of the mountain which looks like a knife and axe, and it is extremely dangerous. It also has created the diversity of the wall of the Great Wall. There are 16 enemy buildings in the eastern section of the Great Wall and 18 in the west. The scenic area currently only opens 10 enemy buildings in the eastern section (up to the enemy building on the 10th building in the east).

Since February 2014, the Simatai Great Wall tickets will not be sold separately at the scenic spot. Only the ticket package of “Simatai Great Wall + Gubei Water Town” will be sold. Tourists who purchase the package can enter the Great Wall during the opening hours of the scenic spot. When there are too many tourists, flow control will be carried out sometimes, and tours will be opened in batches.

For those who only visit Simatai Great Wall, the scenic spot is subject to reservations and batch tours. There are three batches of tours per day: 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 (there may be changes during different seasons, and it is subject to the notice received at the time of booking). In addition, there is no longer a separate arrangement for entering the Great Wall. Each batch of tourists needs to take a free sightseeing bus to the foot of the Simatai Great Wall under the leadership of the staff. And you can make an appointment by calling 010-81009999.

Simatai Great Wall is the latest Great Wall attraction that is open to the public in Beijing. It is located at the junction of Beijing and Hebei. Compared with the Great Wall attractions such as Badaling Great Wall, it is farther away from the city. There are not many tourists coming to Simatai Great Wall. There are less crowded people in the Simatai Great Wall.

Every autumn, the red leaves in the Simatai Great Wall attracts many tourists. On the ancient Great Wall, watching the red leaves of the mountains is completely different from the feeling of seeing the red leaves in Xiangshan.

Jinshanling Great Wall

The Jinshanling Great Wall is located at the junction of Luanping County of Chengde City and Miyun County of Beijing. It is about 130 kilometers away from the Beijing area. It is a section of the Great Wall built by Qi Jiguang, a famous anti-mite in the Ming Dynasty. This section of the Great Wall was built along a lot of mountains and windings. It is a winding and beautiful place. The view is very broad and spectacular after you climb up the top of the Jinshanling Great Wall. It is the most beautiful and magnificent part of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the Jinshanling Great Wall has not been rebuilt, and it still maintains its original appearance when compared with the Great Wall in other parts of Beijing. It shows a kind of simple and pure feeling. There are not many tourists here, and it is quiet and comfortable when you are touring there. It is an excellent choice for visiting the Great Wall in the suburbs of Beijing.

The entire Jinshanling Great Wall is about 10.5 kilometers long and covers a sightseeing area of about 5-6 kilometers in the scenic area. The Great Wall is east-west on the ridgeline on the south side of the scenic spot. Corresponding to the north side of the Great Wall, it is an approximately parallel road, and the starting point on the east side of the road is the entrance to the scenic spot.

In recent years, shooting sunrise and sunset at the Jinshanling Great Wall is also popular. Photographers can consider staying nearby for one night to take the photos of the beautiful views in the Jinshanling Great Wall. There are several farmhouses at the entrance of the scenic spot. The price of the standard room is about 100 yuan, and you can dine at the same time. There are a number of hotels available for accommodation in Simatai New Village, which are 4-5 km south of the scenic spot. The hotel standard room price is about 200 yuan.

St Sofia Orthodox Church

Founded in 1907, St Sofia Orthodox Church is a landmark in Harbin. Its green onion-shaped dome is very eye-catching. Although this magnificent Byzantine building no longer has the function of a church, is it still attracting everyone to come and visit.

St Sofia Orthodox Church is a relatively complete Byzantine building in China. Although it was renamed “Harbin Architecture Art Museum” in 1997, it is more likely to call it “St Sofia Orthodox Church” for locals and foreign tourists.

The more striking part of the church is the huge 48-meter-long onion-shaped dome, which is a typical Russian architectural roof form that is magnificent and can be compared to the Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The walls of the church are made of clear red bricks. There are four tents of different sizes around the big dome. There are stairs connected between the four lower floors. There are four doors in the front and rear of the church for people enter and go out.

After the church was converted into an art gallery, it was internally remodeled, and it has reflected the history, current status and future of the famous city of Harbin by displaying nearly a thousand pictures and urban planning sand tables. However, after the reconstruction, the original pattern was destroyed, and the function as a church has disappeared.

There are “square pigeons” in the square in front of the church. There is also a large series of musical fountains. The locals like to take wedding photos here. Compared with the scenery in daytime, the night view of the church is more beautiful. When the night falls, the church is more magnificent and mysterious and full of exoticism.

The St Sofia Orthodox Church is really magnificent. At the top of the main entrance is the bell tower. The church building is arranged in a Greek cross. It is influenced by the Byzantine architectural style. The main dome and the bell tower also have the traditional Russian “tent top” and “onion head” shape!

The Sun Island Scenic Spot

Sun Island Scenic Spot has several attractions on the island, and the Russian-style town is a Russian-style tourist and leisure town. The whole town consists of 27 villas and houses that reflect the simple, rich Russian style and architectural art of the last century. The ticket is a passport with a fare of 20. You will feel leisurely and quiet. If you want to go there by boat, you don’t have to take a big boat of 10 yuan. There is also a boat on the dock that costs only 3 yuan. You can find it when you look for it. In addition, there is a battery car on the island. Don’t take it, just walk straight into the scenic spot, as taking a leisurely stroll is quite comfortable there.

In the Sun Island Scenic Spot, there is a deer garden where you can buy food by costing 5 yuan to see the deer in the vicinity. In the Squirrel Island, bringing some melon seeds to the squirrel is fun, and you can buy some fish food for the fish. When you are free to take a walk and row boat to see the scenery, you can stay there for one day. During September, it is really the best season in Harbin

It is very worthwhile to visit the Sun Island Scenic Spot; the green plant coverage is very high. You can reach the scenic spot directly by taking cable car, and the cable car and Sun Island tickets are recommended to be bought together, which can be a little cheaper. There are waterfalls in the scenic spots, squirrel islands where small squirrels are running all over the place and they are not afraid of people. And if you buy melon seeds for them to eat, you can take pictures. Also, the scenery of the Swan Lake and flower gardens are beautiful.

Harbin Sun Island in summer features beautiful scenery and pleasant climate. In winter, the snow is covered with ice and the scenery is exceptionally enchanting. Harbin Ice and Snow Culture Exhibition Hall is a cultural venue that displays the history of Harbin culture and the art of ice and snow.

Central Street

Central Street is a prosperous commercial pedestrian street in Harbin City. It is located on the riverside Flood Control Monument in the north and connects the Xinyang Square in the south, which is 1,400 meters long. This long street was built in 1900, and the street buildings include 71 buildings of various styles such as the Renaissance and Baroque. The central street is full of 71 European and imitation European buildings, and it is a rare architectural art group in the country. It is a collection of city-level protected buildings of the Renaissance, Baroque, Eclecticism and modern style.

Central Street is very suitable to have a visit here, as there are a lot of Russian goods, which are not expensive, but very funny. The Flood Control Monument and Zhaolin Park, Songhua River and Sun Island are very close. Playing for two days in the Central Street is very fulfilling. The cable car of Songhua River is also good. If you take the tourist car, it will cost 15 Yuan/person, which is very valuable. And it takes just 5 minutes to St Sofia Orthodox Church, which is very beautiful.

Snacks in the Central Street are so dazzling that you can have the urge to eat all the time. It is a famous commercial street in Harbin. You don’t need shop at all, but you must take a walk here in Harbin. Especially in the winter, the old streets, buildings, ice sculptures, old objects, signs, and pedestrians who have walked through here under the warm sun, are all beautiful views of the ice city in your heart.

The Central Street is as famous as St Sofia Orthodox Church in Harbin, and it is full of Russian style. Harbin is cold but the air quality is still great. The chic buildings under the blue sky are more beautiful, and several old branded western restaurants on the street are also very special and worth visiting.

Siberian Tiger Park

Located on the north bank of the Songhua River, Siberian Tiger Park covers an area of 360,000 square meters. It is currently the world’s largest Siberian Tiger Park. In the park, there are 10 visiting spots including the wilderness and domestication area, adult tiger area, little tiger area, tiger king area, bred tiger area, liger area, African Lion area, Pedestrian Area and tiger viewing platform etc. You can watch more than 100 purebred Siberian tigers. Tourists choose to sit in the ordinary sightseeing car to find the tigers, or increase the price by 20 yuan to change to a thrilling sightseeing feeding car, which is surrounded by a large iron net, and whose body is very heavy, and it is specially designed for the close feeding of the Siberian tiger.

Siberian Tiger Park is adjacent to the Sun Island Scenic Area and is a park that is built to save and protect the world’s endangered species, the Siberian Tiger. Tickets for the Siberian Tiger Park are 90 yuan/person. It seems that it is not cheap, but thousands of tigers in the garden need food, so the tickets are not too expensive. When visitors are playing in the park, they can take a special tour bus and visit the tigers in the adult tiger area. You can also watch the living conditions of many Siberian tigers in close distance on the viewing platform and sightseeing channels.

If you are interested, you can buy live chickens and live sheep at your own expense and watch the real scenes of the tigers seizing the food. The only bad thing is that the price of live chickens is slightly higher, and the tourists are not too active. The circus is still very exciting.

Tickets can be ordered online, which can be used only 15 minutes after the reservation. It is cheaper than buying it on site.

The Ice and Snow World

From the ice surface of the Songhua River, next to the Flood Control Monument, there is a bus to Harbin Ice and Snow World, and you can get off at the Ice and Snow World Station and go to the ice and snow world in a few minutes. Tickets for the Ice and Snow World are 330 yuan. The Ice and Snow World has an annual snow-themed carnival that is open from Christmas every year to early March. Here you can admire the beautiful ice sculptures, snow sculptures and snow castles. At night, the ice lanterns under the various lights are more charming and you can enjoy all kinds of snow entertainment. The dining expenses in the scenic spot are higher. The outdoor temperature here is minus 20 degrees, so you must pay attention to the camera, keep the phone warm, do put it as close to your body as possible when you don’t use it, and bring a spare battery.

Many projects in the ice and snow world are free. The 365-meter slide is a must-have project. It is thrilling. It just takes a long time to queue up. So, you must go there early. There will be more people if you go there late, even if you arrive at 12:30, it still takes more than an hour to line up.

There are many small slides, sleds, snow circles, ice skating, etc. in the ice and snow world. You can enjoy a variety of ice sculptures while playing. Remember, you must bring a bottle of hot water in the bag. In the snow and ice world, a hot water can bring you the warmth and comfort that you can’t imagine.

Going to Harbin, how can you not go to the ice and snow world! You can not only appreciate the crystal clearness of the ice sculpture during the day, but also feel the dazzling of the ice sculpture at night. Almost all the projects in the ice and snow world are free, and large and small snow and ice slides are distributed here and there to satisfy different people to experience the happiness of the world of ice and snow The Ice and Snow World.

Qinglong Cave

Qinglong Cave is located on the Zhonghe Mountain in the east of Zhenyuan Ancient Town. It is backed by mountains and faces with waters. It integrates Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism together. The magnificent ancient buildings are built on the wall and are simply a replica of the Hanging Temple. Different from the traditional buildings that are built from the bottom to the up, the earliest building of Qinglong Cave, Jade Emperor Pavilion is built close to the main hole of Qinglong Cave. It overlooks the ancient town of Zhenyuan. The Wuyang River forms an S-shaped curve here, which is suitable for the Taoist Eight Diagrams Feng Shui. Since then, the buildings have been built from the top to the bottom on the basis of the Jade Emperor Pavilion, which has finally formed the Qinglongdong ancient buildings. Today’s Qinglong Cave is an excellent place to enjoy the charm of the Wuyang River. It is also like a long scroll of mountains and rivers hanging on the Wuyang River.

Qinglong Cave is the best place for Feng Shui in Zhenyuan Ancient Town. You can see the best and most beautiful scenery of the whole town from the highest point of Qinglong Cave. At the same time, you can understand why it is called Taiji Ancient Town! Although it is called Qinglong Cave, it is actually a Taoist architectural complex, and the architectural design is unique and worth seeing. In short, since you come to Zhenyuan, you must come to Qinglong Cave! The place is very charming, and the commercial atmosphere is not strong.

The Qinglong Cave Scenic Area is opposite to the Shiping Mountain. The scenic spot is dominated by the Wanshou Palace. The pavilions and temples are surrounded by mountains and waters, which is like a hanging temple. From the far away, the buildings in Qinglong Cave are unusually spectacular. The buildings are almost built on high mountains and rocks. You will feel shocked and sighed with the craftsmanship of these unnamed craftsmen!

Zhenyuan Ancient Town

When you get off the train, you will see the bus 1-6 straightly to the Zhenyuan ancient town, and reach the new bridge in ten minutes. The whole town has developed into a tourist city. The street in the ancient town is the snacks street, and the other street mainly features souvenir and clothing stores. In the off-season, there are many choices for the inn, but the hotels near the river are more expensive. Commercialization is beginning to be at scale, souvenir shops are expanding, night scenes are more beautiful, but the bar are also very lively. The sunset near Zhusheng Bridge and the New Bridge is beautiful. Qinglong Temple also is worthy your visit if you are interested. If you want to see the panoramic view of the ancient city, you can climb the mountain along the Sifang Street. There are also many ancient houses in the alleys to visit. They are very special. If you don’t take the boat, it will be enough to arrange 1 day for your trip in Zhenyuan Ancient Town.

Zhenyuan Ancient Town is still worth visiting. If it is not very far away, you can go to there during the National Day. You don’t need to purchase the ticket to enter the ancient town. The consumption is not high, it is very acceptable. Inside, you can climb mountains, take a boat trip on the river, you can play a lot of things there. The whole ancient town is not big, but the scenery is very good, especially the river is very comfortable to view. You will like this non-charged ancient town, which will be more and more lively and funny, and the atmosphere is awesome there.

The ancient city is very clean, the roads are all paved with blue bricks and stones, and there are colorful flowers on both sides. The houses on the rivers were originally hanging houses of the residents. In recent years, they have been converted into bars or restaurants, and there also added trails, planted willow trees. Squatting by the river in the afternoon, soaking a cup of tea and sitting in the shade of the trees, looking at the green hills and hanging buildings on the other side, it is really a very enjoyable thing during your trip in Zhenyuan Ancient Town.

Xijiang Miao Village

Xijiang Miaozhai is known as the world’s largest Miao Village. The whole scenic spot is really big, but the sightseeing is mainly concentrated in the commercial street and snack street, then the wind and rain bridge and the observation deck. The rest are the residential areas of the farmers. When you arrive at the gate of the scenic spot, you must first take a tour bus to enter the north Gate, and then you really enter the scenic spot.

What is not so good in the Xijiang Miao Village is that the place to stay is generally concentrated on the hill behind the wind and rain bridge, and there is no bus available from the north gate to the wind and rain bridge, so you must walk. It is very tired to drag the luggage on the bluestone road, and it is not easy to go. You can rent a car, but it is not cheap. So, if you live in the scenic area, try to be as simple as possible, don’t bring too much. The night view of the scenic spot is still quite beautiful. You can take the sightseeing bus directly from the wind and rain bridge to the viewing platform, or live in a hotel with a private viewing platform. The lights are dim but very romantic.

From an objective point of view, Miaozhai industry is basically contracted by a tourism company. In Miao Village, you can rent their famous costumes for a day, or you can climb the mountains to see the water, and you must taste the local long-tables banquet, which is a special feature in the village. In addition, other specialties can also be tasted. At night it is best to stay overnight in the village. On the mountain in the evening, you can look down on the whole Miao Village. You can also watch local performances. If you have a camera, you can buy a VIP position, which is especially good for photography or shooting. Finally, go to the second door from the East Gate to the North Gate, there is a small hill road where you can go directly into Miao Village.