Harbin: A Chinese city with a Russian feel

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  • čas přidán 26. 04. 2020
  • Walking through the centre of Harbin in China's northeast, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in Russia!
    Would love it if you supported me on Patreon! Come join the Blondie gang! / blondieinchina
    It's always good to have a VPN when travelling, especially to protect yourself when using public wifi. I've always used Express VPN (click here for 3 months free when you purchase the annual plan): www.expressvpn.com/blondieinc...
    The music I use in my videos: share.epidemicsound.com/F8Fhs
    Follow me on Instagram! / blondieinchina
    Hope you're all staying inside, staying safe, and staying awesome :) xx

Komentáře • 1,2K

  • @debunkinglies2865
    @debunkinglies2865 Před 4 lety +1772

    Best joke in Harbin is - Waiter: do you want refrigerated beer or normal temperature beer? The normal temperature beer is colder than the ones in fridge. LOL

    • @chengsong6674
      @chengsong6674 Před 4 lety +26

      哈哈哈哈

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety +65

      Hahahahah

    • @adaman6652
      @adaman6652 Před 4 lety +5

      对!

    • @felixluk3167
      @felixluk3167 Před 4 lety +61

      Come to think of it, you can't get a normal temperature beer. It would have been frozen. The funny part is you put things in the fridge to keep warm.

    • @zeflute4586
      @zeflute4586 Před 4 lety +33

      It should be: how do u want your beer? Cold or frozen?

  • @user-cv2ky2ij3c
    @user-cv2ky2ij3c Před 4 lety +998

    As a russian,it truly melts my heart and yes the architecture looks like a mix of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg

    • @adriangudino3412
      @adriangudino3412 Před 4 lety +13

      I'll be responding to you in russian real soon just you wait

    • @leopoldonapos7433
      @leopoldonapos7433 Před 4 lety +27

      @@adriangudino3412 хорошо бумер

    • @supercruiser4925
      @supercruiser4925 Před 4 lety +9

      Your heart is too cold to be melted :-P

    • @user-cv2ky2ij3c
      @user-cv2ky2ij3c Před 4 lety +4

      @@supercruiser4925 that's a good one

    • @fuyoutubechen688
      @fuyoutubechen688 Před 4 lety +52

      In China, we have the ethnic Russians which belong to the 56 minority nations of China. The mixed culture at boundary of two close countries is really charming.

  • @elenaguseva5916
    @elenaguseva5916 Před 3 lety +298

    I am Russian and I lived in Southern city in China but after watching your video I DEFINETELY will visit Harbin. Feels like home!

    • @glebsokolov9959
      @glebsokolov9959 Před 3 lety +15

      Or perhaps you should go back to Russia and stay with the rest of us

    • @dr.zishan2309
      @dr.zishan2309 Před 3 lety +4

      Most of Russian students study in Harbin night life extremely well

    • @Oxxo408
      @Oxxo408 Před 3 lety +3

      I love Russia

    • @antonishedsp2036
      @antonishedsp2036 Před 3 lety +4

      @@glebsokolov9959 Но Китай лучше.

    • @glebsokolov9959
      @glebsokolov9959 Před 3 lety +4

      @@antonishedsp2036 С какого это перепугу? Даже учитывая нашу стагнацию при Путине, у нас ваше ВВП. Тем более в Китае живёт совсем другой народ.

  • @docvideo93
    @docvideo93 Před 4 lety +611

    I just started learning Chinese and the moment I heard you talking about bread, I was all: *I KNOW THAT WORD I KNOW THAT WORD*!!!!!!!!

    • @woaixijinping
      @woaixijinping Před 4 lety +14

      加油!

    • @axe3425
      @axe3425 Před 4 lety +16

      you are so cute

    • @yujiewang6211
      @yujiewang6211 Před 4 lety +3

      her videos are good to learn chinese cities :)

    • @wtyang8665
      @wtyang8665 Před 4 lety +1

      bread-----面包

    • @flyxanthus9805
      @flyxanthus9805 Před 4 lety +1

      所以面包到底可不可数,我到现在都分不清蛋糕和面包哪个是可数的

  • @vffncl0
    @vffncl0 Před 4 lety +202

    I'm from Finland so I'm used to -25c weather during winters, but eating ice cream outside when it's that cold is still super weird to me, I've never done it. I'll have to try it next winter.

    • @luckm8852
      @luckm8852 Před 4 lety +4

      The Swedes make a beeline for the ice cream truck in the snow. I thought their immediate neighbours in the Nordic region did that too.

    • @i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394
      @i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394 Před 3 lety

      just imagine its +25 duh, no wonder ppl call finns slow))

    • @vffncl0
      @vffncl0 Před 3 lety +2

      @@i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394 lol. it's still weird. though your comment made me remember that I've eaten ice cream outside during the winter... in Russia. But it was just like -5c or something, there wasn't even that much snow. It was alright.

    • @i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394
      @i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394 Před 3 lety +5

      @@vffncl0 well if you love ice cream and summer is 6 month away, who cares? plus russian plombir is soo good, Chinese go crazy over it, to the point that Putin pulled up with few cases to Xi.

    • @kobayashibadger6438
      @kobayashibadger6438 Před 3 lety +1

      @@i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394 Actually we eat ice cream INSIDE the room bcz it's very dry and kind of hot indoors...
      Outside it's cold, really cold.

  • @dartharaneus67
    @dartharaneus67 Před 4 lety +157

    Best thing about those drinking glasses made of ice: washing dishes with a hair dryer! ;- )

  • @belkapreobrazhenskaya4909
    @belkapreobrazhenskaya4909 Před 3 lety +177

    I am Russian and I love visiting Harbin. It feels like a second home. Very beautiful buildings and ice sculptures.

    • @user-gi7bg3nq4s
      @user-gi7bg3nq4s Před rokem +8

      Китайско-российская дружба длится вечно

  • @sguploads9601
    @sguploads9601 Před 4 lety +374

    It is Russian tradition to eat icecream when it is cold outside. First of all icecream temperature is higher so it fells different (not these icecream you bought outside) and that's a way to fell and enjoy pure taste of iceream.

    • @hakurowolfy5832
      @hakurowolfy5832 Před 4 lety +20

      Icecream feels warm in mouth when in winter

    • @chinpinhon
      @chinpinhon Před 4 lety +13

      Yes, I also had ice-cream during my last visit to Central Street in Harbin. It's great that the ice-cream didn't melt and drip.

    • @kirabby803
      @kirabby803 Před 4 lety +27

      Lol it's not. How many Russians do you know who eat icecream while outside in -25 degree weather? It have never been a tradition so why u said so? :/
      This thing with eating icecream in winter is as weird to russians as it is weird to other foreigners

    • @radziwill7193
      @radziwill7193 Před 4 lety +23

      @@kirabby803 Today, some Russians even wear gloves at -10. In my childhood, everyone ate ice cream in the cold. I could not even think that this is something strange for non-Russians.

    • @TheLaXandro
      @TheLaXandro Před 4 lety +29

      I am a russian myself, and the only time I've seen anyone eat ice cream in winter was a bunch of chinese tourists at the red square. Probably from Harbin lol.

  • @konstantingeist3587
    @konstantingeist3587 Před 4 lety +37

    2:18 They call it "oriental Paris" although the streets look like typical St.Petersburg. Considering that most architects who came to Harbin were probably from St.Petersburg, it's more like "oriental St.Petersburg" than Paris. Although, of course, St.Petersburg had a lot of French influence itself.

    • @lingni4553
      @lingni4553 Před 3 lety +1

      @Рамис Карама thanks that’s very interesting knowledge.

  • @ersa8400
    @ersa8400 Před 3 lety +37

    I'm Indonesian studying at one of the universities in Harbin, but because of covid-19, I can't go back to Harbin. Thanks a lot for ur video, I can feel Harbin’s vibes

  • @wangzunzhi
    @wangzunzhi Před 4 lety +223

    I’m harbin guy! Miss home!

  • @tracyl5639
    @tracyl5639 Před 4 lety +69

    “I’m not scared it’s gonna melt. “ Heaven

    • @agdasqurshi2328
      @agdasqurshi2328 Před 4 lety

      Tracy L heaven with coronavirus is odd

    • @AVWUVU
      @AVWUVU Před 4 lety +12

      @@agdasqurshi2328 Nope, If you want Crona, go to the US. In China, Chrona is locked down so people don't have to worry.

    • @hopelesshaddy3332
      @hopelesshaddy3332 Před 3 lety

      What about Global Warming and/or Climate Change? I don't know if it is impacting Harbin's temperatures as of now but

  • @KatiePrescott
    @KatiePrescott Před 4 lety +16

    I spent a year studying in Harbin, had an amazing time - thanks for the video, brings back so many memories ❤️

  • @huzefagirnary1064
    @huzefagirnary1064 Před 3 lety +175

    Majority of people coming to Harbin:........... Damn it feels cold in here....
    Russians coming to Harbin:................. Ah feels just like mother Russia...

    • @YummYakitori
      @YummYakitori Před 3 lety +32

      Well in Yakutia (Sakha Republic) of Russia the coldest recorded temperature is -71.2C so Harbin would almost feel like summer to them lol

    • @huzefagirnary1064
      @huzefagirnary1064 Před 3 lety +18

      @@YummYakitori Trust me I am from Canada... I know what "actual cold" feels like too.... lmao

    • @eipiplusone3791
      @eipiplusone3791 Před 3 lety +10

      Unless you are from the Krasnodar region

    • @MaxJanowiczSawicki
      @MaxJanowiczSawicki Před 3 lety +17

      Well, most Russians were visiting to Suifenhe, Hunchun and Heihe (especially before 2014 when ruble was not f*cked up by sanctions) since these are very close to the Russian border, and traveling there costs almost nothing for people from the regions bordering China, and you can just take a bus from Russia to China and buy Chinese products for cheap. Harbin is not too far from Russia, but still most Russians prefer going to the cities closer to border. But yeah, Harbin looks interesting, and that pedestrian street with old imperial era buildings reminds me of Arbat in Moscow or downtown Vladivostok, pretty cool.

    • @Kevin-sq8sg
      @Kevin-sq8sg Před 3 lety +5

      @@huzefagirnary1064 not really, russian siberian cities are actually colder. Unless youre living in the prairies or the territories.

  • @Alexx-up1hh
    @Alexx-up1hh Před 4 lety +12

    Oh man. You brought back a lot of memories for me. I used to live there from 2017-2018. Harbin is certainly a unique place in China and I used to walk many of the streets you were on. I miss it so much.

  • @sally88tan
    @sally88tan Před 3 lety +18

    Harbin’s beautiful & awesome.The architectures are towards Russian styles,super amazing & it’s very modern,cool!👍🏻👏🏻The snow & ice sculptures are fantastic 👍🏻👏🏻😆

    • @PolishGod1234
      @PolishGod1234 Před rokem

      The architecture is Polish, not Russian. Polish engineers built the city, and first President of Harbin was Polish.

  • @zztopz7090
    @zztopz7090 Před 4 lety +38

    There's people that drink hot tea on hot summer days. In Russia it's common to eat ice cream in the winter, maybe because no freezer is needed and I would always see vendors in the winter. It doesn't melt and tastes better when it's ice-cold, just like tea tastes best scorching hot.

    • @alexbro2558
      @alexbro2558 Před 4 lety +3

      Not that common I would say... But I am just telling from my point of view - I live in Siberia, where it comes down to -40 in the winter. If you just try, definitely get sore throat. Maybe your words seem true for some warmer regions. Last year it was -35 in my hometown, I flew to Moscow and it was raining there - no glimpse of frost. Why not to taste some icecream then?

    • @stellarktg5149
      @stellarktg5149 Před 4 lety +5

      I am from Siberia and I think that the best way to eat ice cream is melting hot summer when you can feel the coolness from ice cream, juisness and at the same time a very pleasant taste.

    • @dennisheseri9982
      @dennisheseri9982 Před 3 lety +1

      Stellar KTG you guys are just too cold :P

    • @i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394
      @i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i5394 Před 3 lety

      you were in track but missed, see ppl in Uzbekistan have to drink hot tea during summer work in the desert in order to maintain contra, russuans do opposite at winter sometimes even driving with windows down

  • @ramen4131
    @ramen4131 Před 4 lety +38

    Aww it's my hometown and I missed this place. If you got time, Huamei Restaurant at the Central Avenue is a cool place to eat - semi Russian cuisine. Also the ice cream bar called "Modern" (or 马递尔 in Russian) is worth the visit - the icecream and kefir yogurt taste so great and unique comparing to north American ones.
    Also, for local Chinese food, I recommend "百年蒸饺“ or roughly translated as "centennial steamed dumpling" . Also "老边饺子" was pretty good but that's according to my memory from 28 years ago. For experience, if you got a chance, you can try some bathhouse, although they are not as lavish and traditional as Hammam in Turkey.

  • @eugeneliang4470
    @eugeneliang4470 Před 4 lety +1

    I LOVE UR VIDEOS!!!! Ur so sweet and positive and u truly respect and love the culture!!! AND the people see it!! Thank u for shining such a positive light on Chinese culture! My family has a mix of Chinese and Russian history so this video is a godsend!!!! Thank YOU BLONDIE!!! 💗💗💞W LOVE FROM CALI

  • @shanghai_city
    @shanghai_city Před 4 lety +10

    I love your channel and China is my favourite country to visit. I was going to visit these places like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Liaoning, Tianjin, Chongqing, Harbin, Xian, Beijing ...etc this year but because of the outbreak I have to postponed it to next year. I only hope the length of your vlogs increases to 15-20mins in coming episodes. I want to see more of it. Thank you. 👍🌹🥰

  • @user-oi5yc3ed9z
    @user-oi5yc3ed9z Před 4 lety +26

    As a chinese i havnt even been to this many cities in China, nor do I know much about Haerbin
    Crying with envy
    also I love your vids!

  • @GeorgeMartinus
    @GeorgeMartinus Před 4 lety +227

    I solo backpacked to Harbin and Changbaishan last Jan 2018 and that's the first time I felt the f**kin' insane cold. I checked the temperature on phone screen, it showed -32°C!!
    Beside of that, I also experienced the heartwarming interactions with some locals there even though I lack the language. Met local tourists and became travelmates along the journey, and we still keep in touch in WeChat ever since.
    Madier or Modern ice cream is one of the highlights on Zhongyang Dajie.
    At the first and second days, I wonder what this crowd at a street food vendor all about. Turns out they flock to buy a popsicle (vanilla ice cream). My thought like, _"How come these people eat ice cream in such freakin' cold day?!"_
    I did curious and finally bought one at the 3rd day.
    A guy in hostel told me that tourists and locals eat the ice cream to warm up their bodies. Because ice cream temperature is warmer than the air. Nice one! :D

    • @zztopz7090
      @zztopz7090 Před 4 lety +8

      Ice cream tastes best in winter. Everybody knows that.

    • @madmanjshum
      @madmanjshum Před 4 lety +3

      Mate is it for real, ice cream to warm up?

    • @samb5772
      @samb5772 Před 4 lety +2

      harbin and changbaishan were 2 of the places i went to on my first trip to china. i’d love to return when i grow older😭 china is so nice

    • @reneecheung6818
      @reneecheung6818 Před 4 lety +3

      I'm just surprised your mobile phone still worked in such cold weather. My iPhone battery died many times when I went to Beijing where the temperature was just - 11.

    • @hpatdh077
      @hpatdh077 Před 3 lety

      I went to both Harbin on January 2018 and to Changbaishan on October 2017. I was a student at Changchun for a couple years. Actually, that was an out of the ordinary winter, it was so cold!! I was back in winter 2019 and it was so warm that they had to close the ice festival the earliest in its history! Temperatures already rose above 0 in early February. the snow melted and everything looked so plain, also songhua river wasn't fully frozen 😔

  • @youfeerich540
    @youfeerich540 Před 3 lety +2

    Always so cheerful with vibrant positive vibes. Thanks!

  • @journeymilesaway7824
    @journeymilesaway7824 Před 3 lety +1

    Huge fan of your videos. They’re very informative. You sort of inspired me to take the leap with my family and move to Shenzhen. Thanks.

  • @nadia_h3792
    @nadia_h3792 Před 4 lety +4

    Oh wow, thanks for sharing this amazing place with us! Definitely need to visit it someday

  • @user-og9rj2li2j
    @user-og9rj2li2j Před 4 lety +55

    This is my hometown,I like living here,I also like the life here,Of course, I appreciate your promotion of my hometown,Thank you.

    • @am3818
      @am3818 Před 3 lety +4

      hope you see a nice warm beach someday!

    • @sohailbacha8816
      @sohailbacha8816 Před 3 lety

      Hi everyone I need master scholarships in chemistry

    • @sohailbacha8816
      @sohailbacha8816 Před 3 lety

      Please anybody help me?

    • @user-og9rj2li2j
      @user-og9rj2li2j Před 3 lety

      @@sohailbacha8816 what?

    • @dr.zishan2309
      @dr.zishan2309 Před 3 lety

      @@sohailbacha8816 contact in heliongjiang university chemistry foreigners students study

  • @TravelInteresante
    @TravelInteresante Před 4 lety +210

    Hey! We have just stumbled onto your channel! Your energy, vibe, presentation of your content, and knowledge is a very rare to find on CZcams. We quit our jobs to travel full time before the current global crisis and were planning to visit China as part of our journey. We will just travel virtually with you for the time being but hope to purpose these videos as a guide in the future! Thanks! :)
    Gokce & Steve

    • @FrenchViking466
      @FrenchViking466 Před 4 lety +2

      Don’t forget to visit the concentration camps.

    • @scipion34
      @scipion34 Před 4 lety

      @@FrenchViking466 wait what

    • @marcusgoodsir6541
      @marcusgoodsir6541 Před 4 lety +3

      @@FrenchViking466 you need to build them first.

    • @FrenchViking466
      @FrenchViking466 Před 4 lety

      scipion34 Look it up, millions of people have been taken to so called “re-education camps”..

    • @scipion34
      @scipion34 Před 4 lety

      @@FrenchViking466 yes ik but usually its uyghurs

  • @diane8585
    @diane8585 Před 4 lety +1

    I love your channel sis! You’re so cute and your videos are just so relaxing and fun! Sending love❤️❤️

  • @haruno.shiobana7802
    @haruno.shiobana7802 Před 4 lety +15

    I've spent half a year in Harbin for university. My hometown is Shenyang, also a freezing city in Dongbei as your previous videos said. But I have to say, HARBIN IS SO FREAKING COLD. But the temperature in our dormitory was usually 27 to 30 degrees. So we just bought dozens of ice creams and put them on the balcony. No freezers needed! XD

  • @LetticeTravels
    @LetticeTravels Před 4 lety +12

    I went to Harbin 2 years ago. It was a great trip. I took a night coach to go there. It was very cold once I arrived but I loved the ice sculptures. I'd love to visit the north east of China again.

  • @yantongliu8818
    @yantongliu8818 Před 4 lety +3

    nice music! As a graduate of ANU staying in Australia right now, I really miss Harbin, the city I lived in for four years.

  • @sif_2799
    @sif_2799 Před 4 lety +1

    Your videos are so interesting, educating and you even film like a pro, love your channel :)
    And I also love that you put both eng and chinese subs

  • @joycesoh8900
    @joycesoh8900 Před 4 lety +166

    I am supposed to visit Harbin this winter but it got canceled :(
    *screaming internally*

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety +12

      aarghhh that sucks :( sorry Joyce!

    • @cheese-df1yx
      @cheese-df1yx Před 4 lety +8

      me too, family trip was cancelled due to Convid-19. It is a pity. Will re-plan when everything is over globally. Hope you can re-plan too. lovely ice world!

    • @kora4185
      @kora4185 Před 4 lety +1

      Dude same here haha

    • @angw1268
      @angw1268 Před 4 lety +1

      Oof

    • @vwoeng7477
      @vwoeng7477 Před 4 lety +3

      I went to Harbin near 10 years ago and was planning to go again this year...

  • @eugeniasyro5774
    @eugeniasyro5774 Před 9 měsíci +34

    My father's parents fled Russia and the revolution.Harbin had a large Russian contingency there. Papa was born and raised there. At 18 he went to Shanghai and left the country ahead of the advancing Communists. He went by ship to the Philippines and eventually arrived in San Francisco where he met and married my mother. Papa has been gone 8 years now. I love you, papa!

    • @koruki
      @koruki Před 8 měsíci +1

      Thank you for sharing this beautiful family history with us

    • @user-mw6ss2de8b
      @user-mw6ss2de8b Před 4 měsíci

      Сочувствую вам😢😮😊🎉

    • @jackdaw3088
      @jackdaw3088 Před 19 dny

      On foenem

    • @user-xo4hg8hm5x
      @user-xo4hg8hm5x Před 3 dny

      ​@@koruki这并不美好,是一个悲惨的经历,被迫背井离乡😂

  • @ihatetobethatguybut....
    @ihatetobethatguybut.... Před 11 měsíci +2

    Wow, this is pretty flippin amazing! Never knew this existed until now. Thanks for sharing!

  • @jli3789
    @jli3789 Před rokem +2

    Harbiner's here! Left home almost 8 years ago and I miss my hometown so much. Zhongyang street was where I grew up on and you brought back so much memories! Wish to be able to see the lovely street and eat ice cream in winter on the street (it's the best thing haha) again soon.

  • @TheLalawitch
    @TheLalawitch Před rokem +17

    I have been 5 times to Russia and indeed it reminds me of there. Two amazing countries!!

  • @Reporterfy
    @Reporterfy Před 4 lety +7

    Great video Amy, looking forward to more.

  • @cheese-df1yx
    @cheese-df1yx Před 4 lety

    Great to see the views I should have seen in this Chinese New Year! I will re-plan to trip to go there in near future.

  • @echooohce
    @echooohce Před 4 lety

    Although I often go to Harbin, but I still find out some interesting things in your videos from a different perspective. Nice video and lovely Amy😉

  • @gy8411
    @gy8411 Před 3 lety +9

    Harbin is my hometown, but now I'm in the U.S. Hence I'm so happy to see this video on CZcams, thank you!

  • @jennybian5697
    @jennybian5697 Před 4 lety +5

    I really love your video today .You such a lovely person to speaking perfectly Chinese these days .I am so admire you .Lots of love ❤️ to you all

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety +2

      Aww thank you Jenny! What a lovely message to read

    • @jennybian5697
      @jennybian5697 Před 4 lety +1

      Blondie in China I am your loyal fans for a while .I am so glad you have had fun to living in China these days .Love you

  • @RUSLexplorer2020
    @RUSLexplorer2020 Před 3 lety

    wow! This is insane ! I saw this for the first time and thanks for enlightening us about this city ! wish you happy travel !

  • @Ms.Me.MuRuiQi
    @Ms.Me.MuRuiQi Před 4 lety +100

    3:09 You translated "拜拜美女" as "Bye, blondie!"? 😂 While that's a very liberal translation (as you know 美女/mei nü means "beauty/pretty girl/compliment for female customers" and doesn't really refer to blonde people or your channel specifically), your video was nicely put together overall. Thanks for the effort and dedication! На здоровье/干杯/cheers!

    • @johannanordwall3542
      @johannanordwall3542 Před 4 lety +20

      Ms. Me I think she did that to be humble lol

    • @MilA-eh3gf
      @MilA-eh3gf Před 4 lety +10

      @@johannanordwall3542 Agreed, in her channel she refers to herself as 'blondie" so by using this word she's not claiming to be a "beauty". Both are cute nicknames anyway; translation doesn't need to be literal.

    • @radziwill7193
      @radziwill7193 Před 4 lety

      Does Chinese have the word "blond?" 金发? I suspect that this word meant another until the 18th century.

    • @diggingmystyle
      @diggingmystyle Před 3 lety +1

      @@radziwill7193 we just call all foreigners "old outsiders"

    • @radziwill7193
      @radziwill7193 Před 3 lety

      @@diggingmystyle Why old?

  • @derekhung6625
    @derekhung6625 Před 4 lety +7

    I was in Asahikawa, Hokkaido in Feb 2020 and the overnight minimum on the 9th was -26°C, while just 25 min from the city in Etanbetsu River it got as low as -36°C. There was a display of photos and souvenirs from Harbin Ice Festival - a sister of Asahikawa Winter Festival. Harbin and Asahikawa are friendship cities. Harbin is certainly on my bucket list, but at least I won't be shocked by the cold anymore!

  • @fyfn355
    @fyfn355 Před 4 lety +41

    Yea, it is really interesting how people that live in the cold love to eat cold things like ice cream. They do the same thing in Bulgaria where it is literally -10 or -5C which is not as extreme as Harbin, but they still love their ice cream in the freezing winter. lol.

    • @FoufouBe
      @FoufouBe Před 4 lety +9

      Well, it's kind of the same for north africans... We live in very hot country but we also drink very hot tea because we think that's better refreshing drink

    • @Vysair
      @Vysair Před 4 lety +3

      in warmer climate, somehow people wanted to eat hot thing and now I know why like how during rain or cold, people eat cold thing.

    • @LunatTuT
      @LunatTuT Před 2 lety +2

      When the ice cream is -10, and outside - 70C °, it seems warm. (Resident of Novosibirsk, Russia)

  • @bboygermy
    @bboygermy Před 9 měsíci +1

    Learned a lot about Harbin in 5 mins; thanks so much for documenting this!

  • @yehhshhs
    @yehhshhs Před 11 měsíci +13

    as a chinese i love this part of russia i am so happy to see this russian influenced architecture very proud of this. russia and china always help each other. russians are always welcome to china!

  • @rabbitazteca23
    @rabbitazteca23 Před rokem +103

    As a chinese, I absolutely love Russian architecture. I think it is great that Russia and China are continuing their strong relationship to this day.

    • @emallace447
      @emallace447 Před rokem +1

      Yeah...two brutal dictatorships forging a bond out of convenience and self-interest. It is only a matter of time until the relationship implodes like it always historically has.

    • @davidgraham952
      @davidgraham952 Před 11 měsíci +6

      ...it is problematic.

    • @GwynBleys
      @GwynBleys Před 11 měsíci +20

      Im a Russian living in US for most of my life and i agree with you. I feel like im much closer to Chinese culture than i am to American... Well America has no culture.

    • @overdrivelzma.9219
      @overdrivelzma.9219 Před 11 měsíci +1

      @gwynbleys7171 Canada and USA have no culture.

    • @Nonviableaccount
      @Nonviableaccount Před 11 měsíci

      @@GwynBleyslmao absolutely brain dead take. Why don’t you move to China then buddy

  • @ErmakBrovar
    @ErmakBrovar Před 3 lety +24

    We don’t say “na zdorovye”. It was said by Polish actors playing Russians in Hollywood movies. We wish health (здоровье - zdorovye) an lots of different forms, but never in the form of “na zdorovye”.

    • @ErmakBrovar
      @ErmakBrovar Před 3 lety +4

      Олжас Есенбаев вы понимаете, что мы говорим об абсолютно разных контекстах?

    • @ErmakBrovar
      @ErmakBrovar Před 3 lety +3

      Олжас Есенбаев коммент адресован автору, она поняла о чём речь. Видео совсем короткое, посмотрите и поймёте о чём я. Так вы только запутаете человека.

    • @juliabrylinska5850
      @juliabrylinska5850 Před 3 lety +2

      yeah im polish and we say na zdrowie and i think it is not the same as russian

    • @ErmakBrovar
      @ErmakBrovar Před 3 lety +5

      @@juliabrylinska5850 “na zdorovye” is never used as “cheers” when we drink. We may say “na zdorovye” in response to “thank you”. Like “thank you - you are welcome”, but never as a drinking salute.

    • @juliabrylinska5850
      @juliabrylinska5850 Před 3 lety +3

      @@ErmakBrovar oh okay now i know thank you so much

  • @laurenandseth
    @laurenandseth Před 4 lety +1

    Wow! Such a unique city. Loved the video :)

  • @lydiaalhassan4127
    @lydiaalhassan4127 Před 4 lety

    My favorite CZcamsr is back 😌😌
    I love you Amy 🤗🤗

  • @wuqi6197
    @wuqi6197 Před 4 lety +6

    I was studying in Beijing early this year, but all my plans got cancelled due to covid. Thank you for sharing this :) now I can at least get an insight

  • @dlandis8146
    @dlandis8146 Před 4 lety +2

    visited Harbin 5 years ago (living in Tianjin back then) the coldest and one of the most difficult places to travel too (no English spoke anywhere) but a fascinating trip. Ice Festival was great. Would love to return some day.

  • @diladina8312
    @diladina8312 Před rokem

    love your travel video and explanation on the history. keep it up gal

  • @hollywoodhh5646
    @hollywoodhh5646 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Amazing video the world needs more people like u. Learning different languages and culture in a positive light is amazing.

  • @hermesliteratus882
    @hermesliteratus882 Před 4 lety +24

    I love the way your mum said "OMG" when she knew you were in a place 7 degrees colder than the fridge.

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety +3

      hahahahh

    • @htlow3598
      @htlow3598 Před 4 lety +1

      @ Gaiseric Lee, no mate.She was comparing to the freezer, not the fridge.

  • @fayanthea3519
    @fayanthea3519 Před 3 lety +3

    Harbin seems so lovely! Hope to be able to visit someday!

  • @salairyu
    @salairyu Před 3 lety

    Thanks for your sharing on the interesting parts of Harbin, on the food, culture and weather. Meanwhile, your Mandarin is superb good!

  • @haitianlan9901
    @haitianlan9901 Před 4 lety +1

    Welcome to my hometown :) I'm living in Sydney now. Love your vid!

  • @tamterence5561
    @tamterence5561 Před 4 lety +6

    omg, I HAVE BEEN THERE. I love it and miss it soooooo much,I still remember that I walked above a frozen river

  • @dela960
    @dela960 Před 11 měsíci +16

    I lived in Harbin for 1 year while teaching English. Friendliest people ever! And yes, Harbin is indeed the Paris of the Orient, as well as the Moscow of the Orient!

  • @billycheung8836
    @billycheung8836 Před 4 lety

    Thanks for another beautiful video footage Amy 👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍

  • @carlospucrosado1792
    @carlospucrosado1792 Před 3 lety

    First time watching your videos, I loved them! You are so cool 🙌🏽 greetings from México 🇲🇽

  • @rickyli27
    @rickyli27 Před 4 lety +91

    哈尔滨人在悉尼。今年春节回哈尔滨赶上了疫情从开始到严重。因为临近俄罗斯和外来输入现在哈尔滨控制疫情有很大压力。希望正常生活早日恢复

    • @jch368
      @jch368 Před 4 lety +2

      现在回黑龙江要居家隔离28天😂14天酒店+28天居家

    • @duranchen3222
      @duranchen3222 Před 4 lety +3

      哈尔滨人在悉尼+1

    • @annerson3139
      @annerson3139 Před 4 lety

      绥芬河的口岸加上一些当地领导的不利应对,我父亲仍在当地,和你一样,希望疫情早日过去。

    • @user-bi1gk1qj5j
      @user-bi1gk1qj5j Před 4 lety

      现在好多了,但是小区还没有解封,路过大家都不害怕了,大不了再封一次。

    • @MsLazypiglet
      @MsLazypiglet Před 4 lety

      哈尔滨人在悉尼+2

  • @m.a.118
    @m.a.118 Před 3 lety +39

    Went to Harbin in 2019 during the Ice and Snow Festival. It really is cool. Darker history as well you can see what's left of the Unit 731 site there and museum about Harbin under Japanese/Manchukuo control (Worth seeing too.). Most of the ethnic Russians that were there by the mid-twentieth century were of White Russian (Czarist/anti-Communist) exiles who were purged when the Soviet Union invaded Manchukuo in 1945. Similar story with Xinjiang- There were strong Russian communities there too but Bolshevik interventions in Civil War and later Soviet incursions in the 1930's saw a lot of the Russians there purged or sent to gulags.

    • @raymondwen4210
      @raymondwen4210 Před 3 lety +2

      So thats why there's not a lot of Russians in harbin, guess they chilling at Siberia now

    • @evil_daimyoe627
      @evil_daimyoe627 Před 3 lety

      @@raymondwen4210 yes chilling on the bottom of lake baikal

    • @natalyaAstafyrova
      @natalyaAstafyrova Před 11 měsíci

      😂ага. В ГУЛАГ. Страшным KGB😂
      Слушайте, а можно что нибудь действительно интересное придумать, окном страшного ГУЛАГа, КГБ и прочих финал ЛГБТ - ну что б забыть, забиться, захрипетт?
      Мне правда интересно - мифу про страшных пьяных русских в ушаеках и с медведями на Красной площади уже 500 лет. Вы там за жто время ничего пооригинальней сварганить не смогли?

  • @xolang
    @xolang Před 4 lety

    I always eat ice cream in winter. 😋
    I miss that since I live near the equator now so we have neither summer nor winter now. it stays the same all year long.
    Thank you for the very nice video!

  • @richardyoung377
    @richardyoung377 Před 4 lety +1

    SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF FUN, those snags look pretty good in HARBIN & the ice city sculptures, see the infamous UNIT 731 never again.

  • @MrWillypanda88
    @MrWillypanda88 Před 4 lety +15

    Imagine being that guy that so used to removing his gloves when going inside a building, you risk ripping off skins of your finger when holding those ice glasses.
    Also, Amy, now you have eat ice cream on -25C, next, ultra spicy Indian curry in India during heatwave.

  • @ranshi6222
    @ranshi6222 Před 4 lety +41

    I've been living in Harbin from birth until 12 yrs old, then my family moved to Ontario, Canada. Honestly, even Ontario is warmer than Harbin. Your video really brings me nostalgia, miss Harbin so much.

  • @samb5772
    @samb5772 Před 4 lety

    ahh !! i miss harbin :( their ice cream there was so good and it didn’t melt bc of the temperature TT the ice sculptures just laying on the side walls were so pretty too

  • @TomoMomoDomo
    @TomoMomoDomo Před rokem +2

    Thank you for making this!
    I will never not be proud of being born in such a beautiful place ; w; The Snow and Ice Festival is a must see for anyone brave enough to handle the cold winter!
    Last I heard, the Sophia cathedral has been turned into an art museum.
    Ma-di-er ice cream is best ice cream :p though my brother's logic for eating ice cream in the winter is that it doesn't melt xD
    Da-lie-ba bread is Rye bread. I get my fix of harbin sausage from the russian markets in the states which I'm thankful we have TT A TT
    Funny thing about growing up in Harbin in the 90s... almost everyone knew how to ice skate because the school I went to had a very shallow lake that froze solid in the winter. So everyone had skates and learned how to skate. LOL

  • @madisonschreiber5842
    @madisonschreiber5842 Před 4 lety +29

    my top place I want to visit in China, such an interesting city!

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety +1

      yeah! I had been wanting to visit for soo long

    • @russkayaimperiya5779
      @russkayaimperiya5779 Před 4 lety

      rather visit taiwan

    • @jtky7257
      @jtky7257 Před 3 lety +1

      @@russkayaimperiya5779 there is nothing is taiwan as compared to china

    • @russkayaimperiya5779
      @russkayaimperiya5779 Před 3 lety +1

      @@jtky7257 yeah there is, areas of cultural hertitage in taiwan are actually preserved, unlike in china where they are exploited and faked

    • @jtky7257
      @jtky7257 Před 3 lety +1

      @@russkayaimperiya5779 u mean taiwan has a longer heritage than China? Are u joking?

  • @satviksomya4311
    @satviksomya4311 Před 4 lety +4

    Central street's ice cream is so famous. I literally ate it on a day with - 30 temperature just because one of my friends said that if you are in Harbin, you got got eat that ice cream😂

  • @user-uk6fu1wg9r
    @user-uk6fu1wg9r Před 4 lety

    Thank you for sharing this video! It's my hometown!

  • @diane8585
    @diane8585 Před 4 lety +1

    “I’m not scared the ice-cream is gonna melt” hahah that’s so cool, I heard the ice-cream from that street is quite famous so maybe that’s why everyone’s having one in cold winter? 😂 so chill

  • @maxdc988
    @maxdc988 Před 4 lety +46

    36% C here in Malaysia, very hot, let's get some ice-creams,...reasonable. -25% C in Harbin, very cold, let's get some ice-creams,...weird. haha

    • @moriart13
      @moriart13 Před 4 lety

      wkwkwk

    • @irawanadinugraha1527
      @irawanadinugraha1527 Před 4 lety

      wwkwkwkwkwkwkkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkw lmao

    • @al-jawi4074
      @al-jawi4074 Před 4 lety

      Beruk

    • @radziwill7193
      @radziwill7193 Před 4 lety +1

      Why is this weird? Outside, the temperature is -25, the temperature of ice cream is -15. Ice cream warms a person.

    • @lambun246810
      @lambun246810 Před 4 lety +1

      Hmmm. .....Not wire see many Malaysian drink hot coffee hot tea very hot soap under hot Malaysian weather ya

  • @Razear
    @Razear Před 4 lety +6

    What a scenic piece of history this city is. Beautiful example of cultural amalgamation.

  • @xiluntang6281
    @xiluntang6281 Před 4 lety +2

    What a great video, that’s my hometown, now I am studying in Macquarie Uni

  • @jossdionne9810
    @jossdionne9810 Před 3 lety +2

    I have met mixed Russian-Chinese people all over China... wonderful mixture!!
    Btw, eating ice cream outside for me, only in icy weather. I like eating ice cubes in the morning...break fast!

  • @dake8697
    @dake8697 Před 4 lety +3

    hoho, that's my hometown. thanks for sharing~

  • @twwuwu7527
    @twwuwu7527 Před 3 lety +2

    Harbin is one of the places where I wanted to visit but won't cause of the temperature. Born and raised in Malaysia, our tolerance to temperature are so narrow we can only accept 21-25℃. We complain when it's too hot (most afternoons in the year reaches 33℃), we also complain when it's too cold (we experienced a cold spell in end of 2018 and 2019). 🤦🏻‍♀️

  • @Coolbeanpranks
    @Coolbeanpranks Před 4 lety

    I was in Harbin last year, the ice festival is amazing!

  • @turah786
    @turah786 Před 4 lety

    Hi! I am an expat living in Harbin. Loved the video. The ice cream is called Madier and it’s a tradition to eat it in Winter although it is sold all year round.

  • @wowwow9679
    @wowwow9679 Před 4 lety +6

    A lot of Russians live in Harbin. The city is focused on Russians. Signs and street names are duplicated in Russian. Many sellers, waiters and generally working personnel speak Russian.

  • @msataraxia-nx2wg
    @msataraxia-nx2wg Před 4 lety +65

    That's my hometown

    • @moriart13
      @moriart13 Před 4 lety +1

      how much app in those russian houses cost?

    • @sdarkao9297
      @sdarkao9297 Před 3 lety

      👍👍👍👍👍

  • @xinyuzhao6638
    @xinyuzhao6638 Před 4 lety +1

    Currently in Montreal, Canada right now. Hope that I can go back to Harbin as soon as possible!!!

  • @s.vortex
    @s.vortex Před 4 lety +2

    Can't wait to watch this one!

  • @ningboflyer3871
    @ningboflyer3871 Před 4 lety +8

    I remembered when I visited Harbin with my parents more than 10 years ago, when the plane landed, we couldn't disembark. Since the cabin door was frozen due to low temperature...

  • @bramantyopamungkas2368
    @bramantyopamungkas2368 Před 4 lety +3

    I'm studying in Harbin Institute of Technology but I need to return to my country currently, I miss Harbin so much

  • @henryhuang6080
    @henryhuang6080 Před 3 lety +2

    I studied in a college in Harbin.it’s a beautiful city.I have lots of memories about Harbin.

  • @billburwood7047
    @billburwood7047 Před 4 lety

    Great video! I recently had a roommate who was from Heilongjiang. Seems like a very interesting place.

  • @user-th6ox5lv4f
    @user-th6ox5lv4f Před rokem +3

    It is also great to add that Polish people left also their heritage (if Im not wrong there's a railway bridge made by a Polish engineer). They built churches, schools, but unfortunately the Polish elements didn't make it until today and there aren't any Polish people living from that time. :) Great video, Harbin's definitely on my travel list!

    • @yupyinwang8562
      @yupyinwang8562 Před 11 měsíci +1

      there are Polish cemeteries in Harbin and Polish descendants in China are recognized as ethnic Russians.

  • @Righteous1ist
    @Righteous1ist Před 4 lety +8

    A mixed city, cool. Those grilled sausages look very moist and tasty.

  • @cyclopsli1923
    @cyclopsli1923 Před 4 lety +1

    My hometown!!!! Love your work on making videos like this, and you did a lot of research, which I respect a lot.

  • @lunazhao
    @lunazhao Před 3 lety +1

    here is my hometown. it's very beautiful and unique. i'm so glad u like it!

  • @llamaalpaca5563
    @llamaalpaca5563 Před 4 lety +9

    That piece of bread reminds of sourdough so I would assume it's gonna taste a lot better after a good toast.

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety

      yeah I think it would taste better after toasting haha

  • @Terrus_38
    @Terrus_38 Před 3 lety +4

    There were also many Poles in Harbin.

  • @user-ff4uc6cj6s
    @user-ff4uc6cj6s Před 3 lety +1

    I'm from harbin and welcome to my hometown I'm so miss my hometown thank you for your videos

  • @gloriagao4095
    @gloriagao4095 Před 4 lety

    I was born and raised in Harbin, now I live in Australia.
    Don’t know when I can go back because of this pandemic situation.
    Miss my home a lot! Thanks so much for introducing my beautiful hometown to the world!

    • @BlondieinChina
      @BlondieinChina  Před 4 lety +1

      You must miss home so much!!! Hope that you can go back soon. Stay safe!! Maybe see you in Australia one of these days :)