China's northernmost point, the "Chinese North Pole," is at the very tip of Heilongjiang province's Mohe County 黑龙江省漠河县北极村.

The town looks like nothing more than a tiny tourist village with log cabins and horse-drawn carriages taking the few winter visitors on tour.

Apart from its notoriety as being the northernmost point, Beijicun is also a point from which auroras—northern lights—can be seen. During the winter months, the temperature never rises above freezing (it was minus 52 degrees Celsius the night we were there), and a row of flags in the center of the frozen Amur River ("Heilong Jiang" in Chinese) mark the border between Russia and China.

The local ice fisherman check their ice holes daily, although the border patrol's rumored "shoot first, ask questions later" policy virtually guarantees they stay clear of the border.

The town has built a small amusement park with slides, snow mountains for climbing, a couple of ice buildings, and a number of ice and snow sculptures.

General admission to the village is RMB60 and RMB30 for students with ID.

This article was originally published in CHENGDOO citylife Magazine, issue 36 ("how to IV"). Text by Dan Sandoval and photos by Brian Wytcherley.

Share this article