2019 Harbin and Sapporo Snow Festival

[JessicaTam]

JL F Lounge, I was not sure if we would be given access as the lounges are being renovated and I had read reports that OW passengers were being redirected to the other OW lounges in the terminal. Access was not an issue and MrsM and MissM had a great time.

When I was there last week I was asked to use another lounge due to the renovations.

 

[Hvr]

When I was there last week I was asked to use another lounge due to the renovations.

While that was the reason for you being denied entry I wonder if they remember you from 2017?

 

[JessicaTam]

While that was the reason for you being denied entry I wonder if they remember you from 2017?

They said due to the renovations.

 

[Matt_01]

What kind of shoes are you wearing on the ice?

They are actually from Aldi, picked them up about 8 years ago. I brought these ones along as they are lighter than my Sorel's. They are reasonable but there are better boots out there, I had no issue with walking on the ice.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks for the great TR. Good to remember our time in Sapporo last year. Love the cold weather but unlike you we don't fly domestically in Japan (MrLtL is not a good flyer) and we use the excellent train service. Nice way to spend a day on the train back to Tokyo from Sapporo.

 

[Hvr]

Have loved the TR especially since I've been to Harbin and experienced the Ice Festival, it revived some great memories.


Now the festival is over for the year:
Harbin Ice Festival canned as sculptures melt

Ice and snow sculptures carved by nearly 10,000 artists in the city of Harbin have melted during a sudden warm spell, forcing the earliest closure of the main venue at China's biggest winter festival.

 

[LinaLee]

Love your no fuss TR. brings back wonderful memories too of my time at the Ice Festival. Amazing how 11 years has brought so much change and upgrades to Harbin downtown. I almost could not recognise it. I remember it as terribly depressing, dark grey soot covered buildings and almost non existent footpaths and the people walking around shoulders bent against the cold shuffling along. The bustle now is good to see as those days no one went downtown .

Walking ON the Songjiang was the highlight of my trip.

Good to know the Shangri-la hotel and the club lounge has kept up its standards in case I ever make a return trip. It is my fav hotel chain in Asia and they do club lounges really well .

 

[rginoz]

Thanks for a great Trip Report, Matt_01. I really enjoyed seeing and hearing about your experiences in Harbin and Sapporo, at what appears to be the full depth of winter in each. We have been to both on separate trips in the past couple of years, including Sapporo in December 2019 and Harbin in February 2017. Neither place was as cold and snowy as you experienced, but still pretty cold for a couple of Queenslanders.

We stayed at the Sofitel in Harbin, and I would thoroughly recommend it. A great Executive Lounge and wonderful service. We took the overnight sleeper trains (first class) from Beijing to Harbin and return, which was OK as trains go, but not very comfortable. The Mercure in Sapporo was good, and we thought Sapporo was a very welcoming and modern city.