4-day Harbin Ice Festival & Old Jewish Sites Tour

Day 1 Arrival in Harbin
Upon arrival in the ice city - Harbin, your tour guide will meet you then escort you to the hotel to check in if the room is available according the time you arrive. Free leisure for the rest of the day.

 
Day 2 Harbin
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Harbin Huangshan Jewish Cemetery, Jewish Community, Jewish Museum, National Bank of Jews, Jewish Business Hong, Old Synagogue, Jewish Free Soup Kitchen, Jewish Geriatric Hospital (Home for the Aged), Jewish Primary School, Gogol Russian street

From late 19th to early 20th century, Harbin was once the biggest habitat in the Far East for Jews. We will drive in the morning to visit the Harbin Huangshan Jewish Cemetery, the largest and best-preserved one in East Asia, which witnessed the special friendship between Chinese people and Jewish people. Then continue to explore some Jewish sites such as Jewish Museum (Harbin Jewish History and Culture Exhibition Hall ), Jewish National Bank, Jewish Business Hong (house), Old Synagogue, Jewish Free Soup Kitchen, Home for the Aged (now branch for Taxation Bureau of Harbin Municipality), Jewish Primary School (No entry, just for a view outside, now a primary school for the local Korean groups), Athletic Assembly Hall for Staff of Chinese Eastern Railway (now for Bureau of Education of Harbin Municipality. No entry, just for a view outside), and Harbin Jewish Hospital (now Harbin Municipality Eye Hospital) and more areas of Jewish community.

 
Day 3 Harbin
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: St. Sofia Church, New Synagogue, Snow Sculpture Art Expo at Sun Island, Siberian Tiger Park, Ice and Snow World

After breakfast your tour guide will meet you and escort you to visit the Harbin St Sophia Cathedral church, with Byzantine style and meaning of 'God's wisdom' for name, look so beautiful as if it had been made by God's hands. The church's original shape and Latin cross footprint was preserved during reconstruction.It was first built in 1907 and rebuilt into brick and wood structure in 1912. It is the largest Orthodox Church in the Far East.

Then move on to the Sun Island, where the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo is held every winter. You can see various awesome snow sculptures and do some optional activities (snow tubing, dog sledding etc). Proceed to the Siberian Tiger Park to enjoy a safari style trip to see the tigers and lions (feeding the animals is optional). Pay a visit to the New Synagogue, which is the largest Jewish synagogue in East Asia. It was the important venue for the nearby Jewish people to hold religious and educational activities.

Later, you will pay a evening visit to the Ice and Snow World. Located on the north bank of the Songhua River, the Ice and Snow Amusement World is a major attraction of Harbin Interactional Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival dunging the winter. There are full of awesome ice and snow sculptures created by artists from all around world. Kind note that please wear enough layers of proper clothes and warm shoes to keep you away form the freeze especially when you want to stay there longer to enjoy the beautiful scenery.


Day 4 Harbin Departure
Meals: B
Places to visit: Stalin Park, Winter Swimming Watching
After breakfast, our guide will escort to see the winter swimming performance. As the Ice City, Harbin is a ideal place to have winter swimming activities. The average temperature here is -18 °C in winter and many local people had get used to take winter swimming.

Stalin Park a good place for lacal people to enjoy leisure. It become an ice activities center in winter. There are all sorts of ice related sports such as ice swimming, ice skating, ice hockey and ice sailing and so on.

Remember some time for transfering to the airport/station, then take your own arranged flight/train to your next destination.