China Snow Town & Yabuli
A forestry village buried in snow for up to seven months, where “mushroom snow” and red lanterns create a fairy-tale winter scene. Hike the snow valley, climb Yangcao Mountain for sunrise, and ski at Yabuli.
China Snow Town & Yabuli lies in the Zhangguangcai Range in southeastern Heilongjiang Province. Administratively it falls mainly under Hailin (Mudanjiang) and Shangzhi (Harbin), and it is the most iconic winter destination in Northeast China. Snow Town was originally Shuangfeng Forest Farm of the Dahailin Forestry Bureau. Its valley, at about 1,500 m above sea level, receives moist air from the Sea of Japan, so snow can cover the ground for as long as seven months. The “mushroom snow” piled on rooftops and woodstacks, set off by red lanterns, makes for a fairy-tale snowy night. Similar snow villages nearby include Snow Valley and Erlanghe. Yangcao Mountain is the sunrise viewpoint, and the Snow Valley–Yangcao Mountain–Snow Town route is the classic winter trekking traverse. To the north, Yabuli is one of China’s earliest large ski resorts. To the east, Hengdaohezi preserves Russian-style buildings from the Chinese Eastern Railway era, with the Siberian Tiger Park and the Weihu Mountain film studio nearby. Climate: cold-temperate continental monsoon, with long, bitterly cold winters; January temperatures often fall below −25°C. Best season: December to February, with the most visitors around Spring Festival. Getting there: take a high-speed train from Harbin West to Yabuli West (about 1 hour); in winter a shuttle runs from there to Snow Town (about 2–3 hours). You can also hire a car from Mudanjiang or Hailin, and Hengdaohezi has its own high-speed rail station. Suggested duration: 3–4 days—1 night in Snow Town or Snow Valley, 1–2 days skiing at Yabuli, and half a day at Hengdaohezi. Notes: bring proper cold-weather gear (down jacket, snow boots, hat, gloves, hand warmers); confirm accommodation and prices in advance during Snow Town’s peak season; mountain roads are icy in winter, so self-drivers need experience driving on snow and ice.
Top sights
- China Snow Town (Shuangfeng) – Snow piled on wooden houses forms “mushroom snow,” and red lanterns glow through the snowy nights. It is the most iconic snow village in No…
- Yabuli Ski Resort – One of China’s oldest and largest ski resorts. It hosted the 1996 Asian Winter Games and is a venue for the 2025 Asian Winter Games, with s…
- Snow Valley Trail – A classic winter traverse from Snow Valley over Yangcao Mountain to Xuexiang, covering about 15 km of forest and snowfields.
- Yangcao Mountain – A viewpoint between Xuexiang and Snow Valley. Climbing at dawn to watch the sun colour the snowy forest and rime frost is Xuexiang's classi…
- Erlanghe Snow Village – A forestry village about 40 km from Xuexiang, with the same mushroom snow and red lanterns but fewer visitors and lower prices. It is known…
- Datudingzi Mountain – The highest peak of the Zhangguangcai Range at about 1,690 m. Its moisture-trapping position helps produce Xuexiang’s heavy snowfall, and i…
- Fenghuangshan National Forest Park (Wuchang) – A forest park in the heart of the Zhangguangcai Range. It offers alpine wetlands and flower meadows in summer, heavy snowfall in winter, an…
Where to eat
- Auntie Zhou's Family Guesthouse – A long-standing family guesthouse with a restaurant on Xueyun Avenue in Xuexiang. The owners serve authentic Northeaste…
Itineraries
- Harbin, Yabuli & China Snow Town 6-Day Classic Ice & Snow Tour – Covering Harbin Ice and Snow World, skiing in Yabuli, and the night views of China Snow Town, this is the most classic…