Category Archives: 哈尔滨

Solitude

Amazing how all these structures grew out of Superman throwing a crystal in the snow.

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Chrysalis

I’ve eaten some strange things in China — a chicken head, grilled scorpion, grilled cicadas, cubes of coagulated pigs’ blood — but this might be the most Chinese: Fried silkworm chrysalises.

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Hubris

 I got cocky today.  Instead of wearing thermal underwear, jeans, wool socks, hiking boots, undershirt, sweater, winter jacket, scarf, and gloves like I did on my first night, I foolheartedly decided to visit St. Sofia Cathedral and Zhongyang Rd. wearing … Continue reading

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Lego

Liquid Lego bricks, frozen in place.

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Carvings

Zhangyang Street is another major focus of the Harbin Ice Festival. I tried to get a terrier to pose next to this ice sculpture of a gramophone, but he was having none of it. This one is a reminder of … Continue reading

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Sofia

Remember our discussion about Angela Lansbury?  Well, here’s St. Sofia’s Cathedral in Harbin.  Clearly heavily indebted to Russian architecture. Not sure how to say “tuppence” in Russian…Tiny, but majestic.  (Feel free to use your favorite dick joke here.)  Apologies for the … Continue reading

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Rome

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

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Wonderland

So, this is the deal.  Every year, they hue blocks of ice from the Songhua River, stack them into amazing structures, and light them up. Snow covering the ice — and sometimes blowing along the ground in gelid flurries — … Continue reading

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Ice

This is a photo taken out my window at the Shangri-La Hotel overlooking the frozen Songhua River with the sun setting over the city skyline in the distance. I’m here in Harbin for their famous annual Ice Festival.  The place is a sleepy … Continue reading

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