Sunrise Glow over China Snow Town

Snow Village, literally “Xuexiang” in Chinese, officially known as Shuangfeng Forest Farm (双峰林场). It is located 170km west of Mudanjiang and 280km southeast of Harbin.

Given the unique geological location – a blend of the cold air from Siberia and the warm air from the Sea of Japan, Snow Village boasts the longest period of snowing in China, nearly 7 months. Snow Village has the best snow in China, thick and sticky, nicknamed “China Snow Village”.

Recommended by my host family, I pay RMB 150 for a side trip to Tudingshan for sunrise view. First get on a shuttle bus going from the northern end of the village to the foot of Tudingshan Mountain, a 15-minute bus ride. At the bus terminal, we are required to take a snowmobile ( two persons for one snowmobile).

Line up for getting on a snowmobile.

Two passengers share one snowmobile.

It is a 10-minute-snowmobile ride, an exciting experience flying up through the thick snow in a forest. About 10 minutes later, we are on an open space on the mountain where we get off and start anther half hour’s hike up to the top of Tudingshan Mountain.

We trudge up the snow mountain and reach the rugged mountain summit. Windy and extremely cold, people are “foolishly” waiting for a potential sunrise.

Windy and extremely cold

Today’s sunrise refuses to come out due to the bad weather.

Climbing down the snow mountain, we meet another group of visitors going up for snow photography.

Again, taking a snowmobile back to the bus terminal for a ride back to Snow Village. Snowmobiles are waiting for us.

When back to Snow Village, we find part of the village is bathing under the sunrise glow!

The traditional houses are blanketed in the sunrise glow.

Rows of rows of village houses are leisurely lying there, looking brilliantly white under the sunrise glow.

Walking in the main street in Snow Village under the sunrise glow.

So the dogsled

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