When you think of winter, your mind willmost likely stray to the European continents.But what many might not know isthat you can see some of the acclaimed sights like the Northern Lights withoutneeding to travel that far.

At the most northern part of China is aprovince called Heilongjiang Province (translated to ‘Black Dragon River’).Itshares a border with Russia, which explains the latter’s influence to theprovince in terms of their architecture, food, and culture.

Heilongjiang is known to be one of thecoldest areas in China when winter comes. During this season, many hidden gemsemerge that transform the province into a true frozen paradise.

Under the jurisdiction of Daxing'anling,Mohe is located at the northern end of Heilongjiang. It borders Inner MongoliaAutonomous Region on the south, Tahe County on the east and faces Russia acrossthe Heilongjiang River. Mohe is the most north county-level city in China.Itcovers an area of 18,427 square kilometers (7,114.7 square miles).It has aPopulation of 83,414 among them including many ethnic group people like Man,Mongol, Hui, Ewenki.

Nestled in the north part of Mohe is theNorth Pole Village (Beijicun) where you’ll not only be able to see the NorthernLights, you’ll get to experience Polar Day too (when the midnight sun will bevisible for 22 hours during the day).

A popular, if not always reliable, viewingspot for the aurora borealis, Mohe (漠河, Mòhé) is amodest town backed by Siberian pine forests and craggy mountain ranges. Itsmushy bogs turn lush in summer, but much of the year Mohe is dipped in snow.This region is also home to dwindling settlements of northern indigenouscommunities, such as the Daur, Ewenki, Hezhen and Oroqen.

Mohe is one of China’s most intriguingoutliers, sharing not just a border with Russia, but architecture as well. In1985 the town burned to the ground in a raging forest fire and when it cametime to rebuild, Mohe decided to redo the main streets in an imperial-eraRussian style with spired domes, pillared entrances and facades with rows ofnarrow windows.

 Seeing the famous Northern Lights is somethingon many traveller’s bucket list. Generally, countries in Europe such as Norwayand Switzerland are common hotspots to see the Aurora Borealis.But you don’thave to travel over 2,000km to see it.Nestled in the north part of Mohe is theNorth Pole Village (Beijicun) where you’ll not only be able to see the NorthernLights, you’ll get to experience Polar Day too (when the midnight sun will bevisible for 22 hours during the day).The best time to see this is during thesummer solstice and it is the only place in Asia where you’ll be able to seeit.

The North Pole Village in itself is aninteresting place. People have also dubbed it as the “home of Santa Claus”because over here, every day feels like Christmas. There will actually be aSanta Claus walking about for tourists to take photos with.You can do otheractivities such as sleigh riding, skiing and or just building snowmen here too.The singing is optional.

Under the jurisdiction of Daxing'anling,Mohe is located at the northern end of China. It borders Inner MongoliaAutonomous Region on the south, Tahe County on the east and faces Russia acrossthe Heilongjiang River. Mohe is the most north county-level city in China.Itcovers an area of 18,427 square kilometers (7,114.7 square miles).It has aPopulation of 83,414 among them including many ethnic group people like Man,Mongol, Hui, Ewenki.

Mohe is one of the domestic non-pollutednatural pure lands and Beiji Village is the only place in China to view theaurora borealis and experience polar day and polar night. Mohe has themonopolistic tourism resources in the north of China such as Luogu River Village,Beiji Village and Arctic Sandbank. Travelers can also experience the uniquereindeer custom, costume and hunting culture of Ewenki people and appreciatethe buildings in Russian style within the city as well.

Youmay need 2-3 days for Mohe travel.The following are the Best Places to Visit& Top Things to Do in Mohe:

BeijiVillage

As the most northern county in China, it isthe only place to observe the view of aurora borealis and experience polar dayand polar night. When the summer solstice comes, looking at the north atmidnight, the sky is bright like the dawn. And winter solstice is the best timeto experience polar night.

BeihongVillage

Surrounded by mountains on three sides,Beihong is an original village which has not been so commercialized. It is apure land far away from the busy city. Travelers can explore in the old-growthforests under the guidance of the local people. There are many wild animalssuch as snow rabbits, wild bears and roe deer. In summer, travelers can alsopick wild fruits and wild medical herbs.

 Birch Forest

It is a good place for travelers toappreciate the beauty of nature. In autumn, golden leaves with blue sky andwhite clouds are beautiful like an oil painting. And winter is the best time tovisit. During winter, the whole forest is covered with snow. The leaves of thetop of the trees are blown up by the wind, revealing the silvery white on theopposite side of the leaves which are like white flowers. Travelers can strolland take photos in the forest.

EwenkiReindeer Park

Ewenki people live in the depth of themountains and forests for a long time. They maintain an original life style andsupport the family by hunting. It is the only tribe in China that raisesreindeer. In the park, travelers can get in with the reindeers which are verygentle, or take pictures at will.

GoWinter Fishing

Winter fishing is a special activity inMohe Heilongjiang. Heilongjiang River runs across the Beiji village, andtravelers can go fishing with locals and enjoy the local stewed fish.

BestTime to Visit Mohe

The best time to visit Mohe is fromSeptember to March. Mohe China belongs to the continental monsoon climate in acold temperate zone. Mohe is the county with the lowest temperature in China,and the lowest temperature in history is -42 °C (-43.6℉). Thewinter is long from October to February, very cold with heavy snow. And thespring from March to May is short with heavy winds. The annual averagetemperature in Mohe Daxing'anling is -5.5 °C (22.1℉). Most ofthe rainfalls are in July.

 Transportation

Mohe Gulian Airport is available fortravelers. After getting off the plane, travelers can take a taxi to the citycenter, taking about 20 minutes. But there are not many direct flights to Mohe,and sometimes you need to transfer via Harbin or Heihe. Travelers can choose totake a flight to Harbin Taiping International Airport, and then take trains atHarbin Railway Station. There are two trains from Harbin to Mohe, K7041 andK7039, which takes about 14 hours. These two trains usually run in the eveningand arrive at Mohe Daxing'anling on the second day.

Within the city area, there is no metro.Travelers can take buses for Mohe travel. Travelers can also take a charted carwhich costs CNY 650-750/day. Also, SUV business vehicles and large commercialvehicles are available. The prices of these cars are varied in differentseasons. If you only wander around within the city, you can pay CNY 10 by taxito any place. Travelers can take the provincial bus line at Mohe Bus Station toBeiji Village.

BestMohe Food to Try

Many dishes of the Northeast Cuisine inMohe Daxing'anling are worth tasting such as Double Cooked Pork Slices, StewedPork with Pickled Chinese Cabbages, Di Sanxian (Sauteed Potato, Green Pepperand Eggplant) and Fried Pork Slices.

 Double Cooked Pork Slices

It is a famous dish of Northeast Food. Ittakes pork griskin as the main material. Cover griskin with starch, fry them inhot oil for twice, add sauced juice, and then put cilantro for decoration. Ittastes sour and sweet and is very popular among travelers.

 Stewed Pork with Pickled Chinese Cabbages

It is a home-cooked dish in the northeast,taking pork rib meat, pickled Chinese cabbages and vermicelli as the mainmaterial. The soup tastes fresh and salty, and the meat is fat but not greasy.It is more popular in the cold winter.