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The Glossary

shan - "means mountain. If you see a shan at the end of the name of a place, it means that it is a mountain in which you may hike, camp, or make a temple visit if it is a sacred mountain."

From China Glossary

Temperatures drop at more than -30 degrees Celsius in Heilongjiang, but the province is not only thick with snow as one of Asia's coldest spots. It is also profuse with eclectic cultures, spirited festivals, and diverse ecological wonders, making it a popular summer alternative for those escaping the Beijing heat.

Trains, airplanes, and buses connect Heilongjiang to the rest of China through Harbin. As the borderline between China and Russia, Heilongjiang or "Black Dragon River" presents some of the two countries' bests. Harbin, the provincial center, stirs an international buzz every January for its Ice and Snow Festival, through which Harbin morphs into an "Ice City" replete with ice lantern parades and over 2000 massive ice buildings and carvings that glow with multicolored lights.

Harbin is also the crossroads between Chinese and Russian culture, as seen through its mixture of Russian and Chinese buildings and cuisine. The city's most famous landmark is St. Sophia Cathedral, a fine example of Russian architecture in Chinese soil. Near the City Center is a Siberian Tiger Preserve, and two hours away is one of China's biggest ice skating rinks, Yabuli.

Across the Amur River facing the Russian Blagoveshchensk city is Heihe, where travelers going to or from Russia ride on boats during summer and ride a bus over the frozen river in winter. Cruises along the Heilongjiang River from Heihe to Mohe also provide tourists with a good view of winter's Aurora Borealis.

Endangered wild cranes and over 260 other bird species are protected in Zhalong National Nature Reserve, while in Ning'an County, the Lake Jingbo drops off a cliff to form the Diashuilou Falls. The Mirror Lake, tiny islands, and tree-lined coast of Jingpohu National Forest Park also offer a different approach to experiencing nature, just like another national forest park, Wudalianchi, distinct for its irregular rock formations, lava fields, and natural hot springs.

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