Harbin

China's most prominent northern city, Harbin is famous for its brutally cold winters, some of which reach -36 degrees Fahrenheit (a chilly -38 degrees Celsius). Located in the northeast, the traditional homeland of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, for centuries Harbin was off-limits to non-Manchu settlers. Following China's opening to the world, however, Harbin became an increasingly cosmopolitan, prosperous city, and soon fell under the influence of Russia. Following the 1917 Soviet Revolution, a mass exodus of White Russians, or supporters of the Czar, fled to Harbin. Today, the Russian influences live on in Harbin's architecture and cuisine, and the city itself is pleasant and comfortable.