Sun Island Scenic Area is located in Songbei District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and is situated on an alluvial island in the Songhua River. The scenic area features the core characteristics of island natural scenery, ice and snow culture, and folk customs, covering a total area of 88 square kilometers, including 47 square kilometers of land and 41 square kilometers of water. It integrates sightseeing, leisure and vacation, popular science education, and ice and snow entertainment, with well-known attractions such as Sun Stone, Squirrel Island, and Swan Lake. The Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in winter is renowned at home and abroad, and it is known as "Northern scenery surpassing the south of the Yangtze River".
History and Culture
The name of Sun Island originated in the early 20th century. It was named "Sun Island" because the island is covered with clean fine sand, which becomes extremely hot under the sun. In the 1980s, large-scale development and construction of the scenic area began, gradually forming its current scale and pattern.
As an important carrier of Harbin's ice and snow culture, the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo has become one of the world's largest and highest-level snow sculpture events since its first session in 1988. Every winter, hundreds of giant snow sculpture works are exhibited here, with the tallest snow sculpture reaching over 30 meters, attracting millions of tourists and greatly promoting the development and dissemination of ice and snow art. In addition, the scenic area retains many buildings and facilities reflecting northern folk culture, showcasing the unique regional cultural charm of Harbin.
Main Attractions
Sun Stone
Sun Stone is a landmark of Sun Island, located at the entrance of the scenic area. The stone is 7.5 meters long, 2 meters wide, 4.3 meters high, and weighs about 150 tons. It is a natural granite. The three characters "Sun Island" on the stone were inscribed by Mr. Zhao Puchu, with vigorous and powerful fonts, which complement the boulder and become a must-visit place for tourists to take photos as a souvenir.
Squirrel Island
Squirrel Island covers an area of about 24,000 square meters, surrounded by water, and connected to the outside world via a trestle. There are nearly 2,000 squirrels of different species on the island, including black squirrels and snow squirrels. Tourists can feed the squirrels here, get close to these cute little animals, and feel the vitality of nature. A large number of pine trees and shrubs are planted on the island, providing a good habitat for the squirrels.
Swan Lake
Swan Lake covers an area of about 12,000 square meters and is an artificial lake. There are more than 200 waterfowls of various species living in the lake, such as black swans, white swans, and greylags. The lake surface is rippling with blue waves, and the banks are shaded by green trees. The swans swim leisurely in the lake, forming a beautiful natural picture. Tourists can walk along the lake to enjoy the scene of waterfowls playing, or take a cruise to watch them up close.
Flower Garden
The Flower Garden covers an area of about 70,000 square meters and is one of the larger flower-themed parks in Northeast China. It has a total of 30,000 square meters of various flowers planted, including peonies, peonies, tulips, lilies, etc., with more than 200 varieties. Every spring and summer, the garden is full of flowers and colorful, attracting a large number of tourists to enjoy and take photos. The garden also has flower beds, flower borders, greenhouses and other landscapes and facilities, showing different styles of flower gardening.
Sun Island Snow Expo Park
Sun Island Snow Expo Park is the core area of Sun Island in winter, covering an area of about 600,000 square meters. From December to February every year, a grand Snow Sculpture Art Expo is held here, exhibiting hundreds of giant snow sculpture works, among which the tallest snow sculpture can reach more than 30 meters. The park also has ice and snow entertainment areas, snow sculpture creation areas, etc. Tourists can participate in ice and snow activities such as snow tubing and ice sliding to experience the fun of ice and snow.
Food
Russian-style Western Food
There are many authentic Russian-style western restaurants around the scenic area and in Harbin City. Influenced by Russian culture, Russian-style western food is quite popular in Harbin. Recommended dishes include borscht (Russian soup), braised beef in pot, Russian pickled cucumbers, etc., which are eaten with leba (Russian bread) and have a unique flavor. Among them, borscht is made with beets as the main ingredient, added with potatoes, carrots, beef and other ingredients, which is sweet and sour, and rich in nutrition.
Northeast Iron Pot Stew
Northeast Iron Pot Stew is a specialty food in Northeast China, which is common in restaurants around Sun Island. Its method is to put ingredients such as chicken, ribs, fish together with potatoes, corn, vermicelli, etc. into a large iron pot, add special sauce and stew. The ingredients are soft and tasty, and the soup is rich and delicious. Common ones include iron pot stewed goose, iron pot stewed ribs, etc., which are suitable for sharing among many people.
Madier Ice Cream
Although the origin of Madier Ice Cream is on Central Avenue, there are also sales points in and around Sun Island Scenic Area. Founded in 1906, Madier Ice Cream is made with traditional craftsmanship, with a delicate taste, sweet but not greasy, and a strong milk flavor. It is a popular summer refreshing food in Harbin, and many tourists are not afraid of the cold to taste this special delicacy in winter.
Tickets
It is open for free, but some attractions in the scenic area require separate tickets.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "太阳岛风景区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of Sun Island Scenic Area in peak season (May 1 to October 31) are 8:00-17:30; in off-season (November 1 to April 30 of the next year) are 8:30-17:00. The Sun Island Snow Expo usually opens from mid-to-late December to the end of February every year, with daily opening hours from 9:00 to 21:00 (the specific time is subject to the official announcement of the year). The scenic area may adjust the opening hours according to holidays and weather conditions. It is recommended that tourists check the official information before traveling.
Tour Route
Recommended one-day tour route: Arrive at the scenic area at 9:00 am, first visit Sun Stone and take photos (about 30 minutes); then go to Squirrel Island to interact with squirrels (about 1 hour); then go to Swan Lake to watch waterfowls (about 40 minutes); have lunch in the scenic area or nearby restaurants (about 1 hour). At 13:30 pm, go to the Flower Garden (peak season) to enjoy flowers (about 1.5 hours); then you can choose to take the scenic area sightseeing bus to visit other attractions, such as Stupid Bear Park (about 1.5 hours); end the tour around 16:30. In winter, you can focus on the Snow Expo Park, and it is recommended to arrange 3-4 hours to visit snow sculpture works and participate in ice and snow activities.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take Harbin city buses No. 29, 47, 80, 119, 125, 126, 211, 212, 213, 215, 216, 219, 346, 551, 552 and other routes to Sun Island Road Entrance Station or Sun Island Park Station, and walk to the entrance of the scenic area.
- Ferry: Take a ferry from Jiuzhan Park or Stalin Park Wharf in Daoli District, Harbin to Sun Island Wharf. The voyage is about 10-15 minutes, operating in peak season (May-October), and the fare is about 2 yuan per person.
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Harbin, enter Songbei District via Songhua River Highway Bridge or Yangmingtan Bridge, and follow Songbei Avenue, Sun Avenue and other roads to reach the scenic area. There is a parking lot in the scenic area, with a charging standard of 5 yuan per hour for small cars and 10 yuan per hour for large cars.
- Tourist special line: There are tourist special line buses directly to Sun Island Scenic Area near major attractions such as Central Avenue, with a fare of about 10 yuan per person.
Must-visit Attractions
- Sun Stone: The landmark of Sun Island. The 150-ton natural granite is engraved with the three characters "Sun Island", which is a symbol of the scenic area.
- Squirrel Island: Covering an area of 24,000 square meters, it is home to nearly 2,000 squirrels. You can feed and interact with them up close, which is suitable for parent-child travel.
- Sun Island Snow Expo Park (winter): The venue of the world's largest snow sculpture event, exhibiting hundreds of giant snow sculpture works, with the tallest snow sculpture over 30 meters, and rich ice and snow entertainment projects.
Travel Tips
- The best season to visit: Summer (June-August) to enjoy the island scenery and flowers; winter (December-February) to experience the ice and snow charm of the Snow Expo.
- The scenic area is large, so it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes for walking; you can also buy scenic area sightseeing bus tickets (about 20 yuan per person, unlimited times) to save energy.
- When going in winter, you need to take cold and warm measures, wear down jackets, scarves, gloves, snow boots, etc.; pay attention to sun protection in summer, and bring sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.
- There are many tourists during the Snow Expo. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance and avoid peak hours on weekends and holidays.
- When tasting local food, you can choose to go to Harbin Central Avenue, where there are more characteristic restaurants and snacks.
Precautions
- Take good care of the scenic environment, do not litter, pick flowers and plants, or hurt animals at will.
- In animal habitats such as Squirrel Island, you must follow the regulations to feed designated food, and do not touch or frighten animals without permission.
- In winter, the ice and snow roads are slippery. Pay attention to safety when walking and playing to avoid slipping and falling; follow the guidance of staff when participating in ice and snow entertainment projects.
- Some areas in the scenic area may have water areas. Keep away from the shore when playing and pay attention to your own safety.
- Take good care of personal belongings and be vigilant in crowded places to prevent loss of items.