How to get to China Snow Town « China Travel Tips

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China Snow Town

Friday, November 23rd, 2018

Dear Travelers

We’d like to have the following travel guide to be always updated for the benefit of new visitors coming to Yabuli and Snow Town from Harbin. If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!
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If you are thinking of Harbin tour, it is worth having a two-day side trip from Harbin to China Snow Town if you are interested in experiencing the coldest weather and heaviest snow in China.

China Snow Town, also known as China Snow Village or literally Zhongguo Xuexiang (中国雪乡) in Chinese is reputed as the most desirable place to experience the thickest snow and plentiful snow activities in China.

China Snow Town is the nickname of Shuangfeng Forest Farm (双峰林场) in Changting Township (长汀镇) at Hailin City (海林市), Mudanjiang (牡丹江), Heilongjian Province. The forest farm is under the administration of Dahailin Forestry Bureau (大海林林业局).

Shangfeng Forest Farm is located roughly between Harbin (280km to the southeast of Harbin ) and Mudanjiang (170km to the west of Mudanjiang).

The seat of Shuangfeng Forest Farm ( China Snow Town) is a one-street town nestled in a valley surrounded by the thick mountain forest. Like many other forest farms, Shuangfeng Forest Farm is no longer allowed to cut trees for logging trade due to the new policies from the central government. The main task of these forest farms is to raise or take care of the trees in their controlled areas respectively.

Shuangfeng Forest Farm’s unique geological location results in nearly 7-month snowing period in the town, the thickest snow in China. The snow in the town is both thick and sticky, a feature making the town a snow fairyland.

In winter, the traditional houses and courtyards are decorated by the thick snow, creating magnificent natural snow engraving arts – snow mushrooms, snow curtains, snow rabbits, snow horses.

At night, the whole town is lit up by the red lanterns hanging outside their houses and on the streets, making the snow town a romantic place for wandering and unwinding.

Since 2000, Shuangfeng Farm has become more and more popular for its snow landscape featuring the snow arts bestowed by the nature. Gradually Shuangfeng Forest Farm has been transformed from a traditional forest farm into a hot snow destination, attracting thousands of visitors each winter. The RMB 95 entrance fee collected from all visitors have become the main income for the forest farm.

Now China Snow Town has become the password of Shuangfeng Forest Farm which has gradually disappeared from the public. The best time to visit China Snow Town ranges from December to February. Harbin and Mandanjiang are the two main entry cities where you can take long-distance buses or hire a vehicle to get to China Snow Town.

At the time of my writing, there are 7 hotels in the town like Days Hotel & Suites Xuexiang and Xueyunge Hotel. The hotels in the town are far from meeting the increasing demand of tourists coming to the town at peak season.

Most of the workers at the forest farm have turned their courtyard homes into family inns which are mainly composed of several 4-person stone-bed room ( kang ) with shared or private bathrooms. Beside accommodation, they also offer food service, or three meals a day if you prefer. They even go out of their way to help you assisting in planning your local travel arrangement.

Top things to do in China Snow Town
1. Get up early to catch sunrise view at Yangcaoshan Mountain or Tudingshan Mountain. Book your tickets through the official agents or your host family.
2. Hike across from China Snow Valley (雪谷) to Snow Town, a challenging 15-km walking on the snow.
3. Go skiing at Snow Town Ski Resort
4. Taking photos freely on the street or around the houses in the town.
5. Taking pictures at the two paid sites on the street.
6. Just experience the coldest weather.
7. Have a bite of the local food.
8. Enjoy the local Er-Ren-Zhuan (Two-person performance).

Entrance Fee: RMB 95 ( valid for two days )

China Snow Town Tourist Center ( You can buy bus tickets )
China Snow Town is a one-street town. The street is known as “Xueyun Dajie”, about 500 meters long. The tourist center is located in the middle section of the street, near Xueyunge Hotel 雪韵阁酒店.
Enquiry Phone Number in China Snow Town: 15714539911
Enquiry Phone Number in Harbin： 0451 – 84695670
Enquiry Phone Number in Yabuli: 0451 – 83289006

24-hour enquiry in China Snow Town: 400-000-0453

The Highly Recommended Hotel in China Snow Town
Xueyunge Hotel 雪韵阁酒店 ( check out http://hotel.elong.net/90254432/ )
Rack Price: RMB 980 ( Changing with the market )
0453 – 7410858
Add: This hotel is located in the middle section of the one-street China snow town, close to the tourist center where you can buy the bus tickets for Harbin or Yabuli.

For more hotel booking in Xuexiang ( Snow Town), please check out the link below:
hotel.elong.net/xuexiang/

How to get to China Snow Town?

China Snow Town Tourist Map

Nangang Bus Station 南岗客运站
Kindly reminder: You’d better take the special buses from Nangang Bus Station ( 南岗客运站) in Harbin though there are other on-route bus stops in Harbin.

Nangang Passenger Bus Station Address: No.26, Shenchun Street, Harbin （ just across Harbin Railway Station by the side of Dicos fast food chain restaurant ）
Tel: 0451 – 53634528, or 82830118

Very important notice
If you arrive by high speed train at Harbin West Railway Station, you don’t need to go to Nangang Bus Station for the shuttle bus, you can easily take the shuttle bus starting from Harbin West Railway Station to Yabuli or China Snow Town. The shuttle will pass by Nangang Bus Station.

地址：黑龙江省哈尔滨市春申街26号 (哈尔滨火车站出站口正对面的一栋楼，挨着德克士，写着客运站）

电话：0451-53634528或0451-82830118

Harbin – Yabuli – China Snow Town Shuttle Bus Route:
Operating Time：Mid-December to February
Ticket fares:
Harbin – Yabuli Ski Resort RMB 55;
Yabuli Ski Resort – China Snow Town RMB65
Harbin – China Snow Town RMB 120

Shuttle Bus Timetable ( Harbin – Yubuli – Snow Town )
Harbin – Snow Town: 6:00; 10:00 and 13:00 ( 3 times a day); Single Trip takes about 5 hours;
Harbin – Yabuli: 6:00; 10:00 and 13:00 ( 3 times a day); Single Trip takes about 3 hours;
Yabuli – Snow Town: 9:20, 13:20 and 16:20 (3 times a day); Single Trip takes about 1 hour;

Shuttle Bus Timetable ( Snow Town – Yabuli – Harbin )
Snow Town – Harbin: 7:00; 10:30 and 13:30 ( 3 times a day); Single Trip takes about 5 hours;
Yabuli – Harbin: 9:20; 12:50 and 15:20 ( 3 times a day); Single Trip takes about 3 hours;
Snow Town – Yabuli: 7:00, 10:30 and 13:30 (3 times a day); Single Trip takes about 1 hour;

For me, China Snow Town is a paradise for photography with much opportunity for picture-taking.

The One Street China Snow Town

One of the street-front stores

Street vendors are doing business despite of the extreme cold outside.

Street vendors are doing business despite of the extreme cold outside

Dreamland (梦幻家园) is a pay attraction with much opportunity for photo taking.

Have a bite of baked potato.

Snow covered houses

Rows of houses and courtyards are blanketed by white snow

The snow house resembles a huge mushroom

Tip: Hassle-free Harbin Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Harbin: