Atlas of China
China Snow Town (Xuexiang) 雪乡Xuěxiāng
A forest-farm village under thick caps of sticky snow, busy, commercial and very cold
- Best time
- Dec–Feb
- Time needed
- 2 days (one night in the village)
- Days to budget
- 2 days
- Stay in
- Mudanjiang
- Region
- Heilongjiang
- Type
- Nature
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area
Why go to China Snow Town (Xuexiang)
Officially Shuangfeng Forest Farm, this village in the Zhangguangcai Range is known for deep, sticky snow that builds into thick caps on the eaves and roofs of its houses through a long winter. Visitors come for the snowy lanes and lantern-lit evenings, a small ski slope for beginners and a film set from the story Tracks in the Snowy Forest. It sits inside Xuexiang National Forest Park, which also holds the separate Taipinggou primeval forest area. Be realistic: it is heavily commercialised and crowded at New Year, and the charm lies in the snow itself.
The story
The village began as a state forestry station and turned fully to tourism after the nationwide ban on felling natural forest in 2014; television shows filmed here added to its fame. In the winter of 2017–18 an overcharging complaint at a guesthouse in a neighbouring forest farm drew an official investigation and penalties, and lodging prices have been watched more closely since.
What to see at China Snow Town (Xuexiang)
- Xueyun Street 雪韵大街: The village's one main street, lined with wooden inns, shops and snack stalls; the snow-capped roofs look best under red lanterns after dark.
- Dream Home 梦幻家园: A separate-entry cluster of old-style farmhouses at the foot of a hill beside the village, left over from film shoots and popular for night photographs of snow-capped roofs and northeastern song-and-dance shows.
- Film and television base 影视基地: A film location on the site of a former logging-station base, some distance south-west of the village, used for series such as Chuang Guandong.
- Yangcao Mountain 羊草山: A viewpoint above the village with wide views over snowy hills and rime-covered trees, a favourite spot for sunrise.
How to visit China Snow Town (Xuexiang)
Most visitors arrive the afternoon before, walk Xueyun Street at dusk, stay overnight in a family inn and climb Yangcao Mountain for sunrise the next morning. The village is compact, so the sights take a few hours on foot; the ski slope, sleigh rides and snowmobile outings are extras. A day trip from Harbin is possible but leaves very little time at the village after the long drive.
How to get to China Snow Town (Xuexiang)
From Harbin it is roughly 270–280 km by road, about 5½ hours, by direct tourist coach in season, private car or chartered car; some travellers take the high-speed train to Yabuli and charter a car from there (about two hours, one traveller report). From Mudanjiang, reached by train from Harbin, it is roughly 170–180 km by long-distance bus or taxi, via the forestry town of Changting. Private cars cannot enter the scenic area: park at the gate and take the sightseeing shuttle, about ten minutes.
Where to stay
Stay overnight in the village itself, in a family inn with a heated kang bed, to see it at dusk and at sunrise; the beds are basic. In peak season the village runs short of rooms, so some travellers base in Changting town or Mudanjiang instead and accept the longer transfer.
What to eat
- Snow Town stews 雪乡八大炖: Slow-cooked northeastern stews of locally grown, gathered or reared ingredients, a village speciality that featured in the TV series A Bite of China.
- Frozen pears 冻梨: Pears frozen solid outdoors and thawed in cold water until sweet and slushy, a northeastern winter treat sold on the main street.
- Candied haws 糖葫芦: Hawthorn fruit on sticks glazed in crisp sugar, sold at stalls along the street.
Tips for visiting China Snow Town (Xuexiang)
- Winter is the only reason to come: the scenic area opened on 17 November for the 2025–26 season and closed for the year at the end of February the season before, so check dates. It is busiest around Chinese New Year, when rooms are scarce and prices climb, so book weeks ahead; family inns with heated kang beds mostly take bookings through Chinese apps and often arrange transfers from Harbin.
- Agree prices for rooms, meals, transfers and add-on activities before you commit; an overcharging row at a neighbouring forest farm made national news in 2017–18.
- Expect temperatures around –20 °C: bring thermal layers, insulated boots and spare phone batteries. Mornings and late evenings, after the day-trip groups leave, are the quietest and best for photographs.
Nearby
Also within 30 km: Taipinggou Primeval Forest Scenic Area 太平沟原始林风景区 (20 km), Phoenix Mountain National Forest Park 凤凰山国家森林公园 (20 km).
On the map
Open China Snow Town (Xuexiang) on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open China Snow Town (Xuexiang) on the map