摘要
The capital of China’s Heilongjiang province,Harbin was founded in 1898 with the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway.Since then,the city has evolved from a small rural settlement on the Songhua River into one of the largest cities in Northeast China.Nicknamed‘the pearl on the swan’s neck'due to the shape of Heilongjiang resembling a swan,Harbin is blessed with dry and freezing-cold winters,making it an ideal winter destination.This is largely thanks to the city’s annual ice festival:a months-long extravaganza featuring giant,lit up ice sculptures.
