Harbin Weekend Getaway to Hengdaohezi

I knew Hengdaohezi was famous for its snowy railway crossing in winter, but I didn't expect it to be so fun in summer. I went on a cloudy day, but it was still very interesting and worth the trip.

🚖One-Day Itinerary:
Hengdaohezi East Railway Station—Oil Painting Village—Orthodox Church—Town Center Railway Station—Russian Old Street—Locomotive Depot—Railway Crossing—Tiger Park

🌳Regular Attractions:
Siberian Tiger Park⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: A must-see! Get up close and personal with many Siberian tigers and marvel at the wonders of nature! I wrote a separate guide on my homepage.
Railway Crossing⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Truly artistic and photogenic. I was prepared to queue, but surprisingly, on a Monday afternoon during summer vacation, there was no one there. I had the whole place to myself.
Town Center Railway Station⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: A beautiful, retro train station that is still in operation.
Locomotive Depot⭐⭐⭐⭐: Also known as the Middle East Railway Museum. It was closed on Monday, which was a bit of a pity. It looked great from the outside, so I'm sure the inside is even more spectacular.
Rainbow Plank Road⭐⭐⭐: You can see it as soon as you enter the Oil Painting Village. It's a good spot for taking photos.
Russian Old Street⭐⭐⭐: Very similar scenery to the Oil Painting Village.
Orthodox Church⭐⭐: Next to the Rainbow Plank Road. It was closed on Monday. I've seen a lot of churches in Harbin, so I wasn't too disappointed.

🌳Unconventional Attractions:
Scattered Preserved Buildings⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I stumbled upon these while wandering around. I don't know their names, but I really liked them. If you follow the itinerary and continue past the railway crossing, you'll see scattered preserved buildings. This area is quieter than the Oil Painting Village and Old Street, with fewer residents. The rugged buildings are full of history and contrast sharply with the lush weeds.
Town Center Commercial Street⭐⭐⭐: If you continue walking past the preserved buildings, you'll find a commercial street with distinctive rooftops.
👏Take My Advice:
[Weather] The best time to visit is on a sunny day after a snowfall. The whole town looks like a fairy tale, and you won't need any filters for your photos.
[Time] If you like crowds, choose to go on Saturday. There's a large market where you can buy many local specialties.
[Travel] The town is quite small, and you can basically see everything in a day. You can hire a car to visit all the attractions if needed.
[Food] There are many restaurants near the train station, mostly serving local Northeastern dishes. It's a very lively area.
[Outfit] Wear non-slip, waterproof shoes. Darker, highly saturated colors will look better in photos.