Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Each winter, China’s industrial city, Harbin, turns into a magnet for those from warmer areas. Tourists want to experience the extreme cold and take in the sculptures built from ice blocks carved from the Songhua River, which freezes from late October to late March.
Faced with temperatures dipping to -30 Celsius, visitors often make a beeline for stalls selling padded clothing to supplement their wardrobes. Oddly perhaps for some, frozen ice cream bars are also considered a key part of the visit.
Jin Yanlong runs a stall selling winter hats, gloves and boots. He said that most of his customers are tourists from southern China who underestimate the frigid weather in Harbin.
Despite the freezing weather, some curious tourists are brave enough to taste the cold itself. Zhuang Chang and his friend enjoyed their Madie’er ice cream bars. The brand was established in the 1900s by a Russian company and has steadily grown in popularity among tourists.
Meanwhile, those seeking a warmer alternative can find hot drinks and steaming hotpot, among other favourites.
Answer: a Russian company
