Written by Nicholas Chou (Carleton College), Student at CET Beijing, Janterm 2026
A Weekend Trip with Questionable Life Choices
Despite CET Janterm’s short length, the program somehow managed to squeeze a weekend trip to Harbin, China, an adventure riddled with amazing moments I’d like to share. The city’s famous for three things: brutal cold (almost -30 degrees Fahrenheit!), ice and snow sculptures the size of small apartment buildings, and a heavy Russian/European architectural influence, so strong it makes you question whether you’re still in China.
When I heard “-30 degrees” and “Harbin” in the same sentence at our pre-departure meeting, my first thought was: I’ve experienced cold, how cold could it really be? However, my first thought about five minutes after stepping off the bus was: I’ve made a huge mistake.
Harbin wasn’t just Midwest cold. It was cold cold (and believe me, I go to school in Minnesota). It’s the kind of cold that makes you want to live in California for the rest of your life. My butt froze. My hair froze. My eyelashes froze. Yet despite all that, Harbin still managed to completely melt my heart. Here’s everything we did in Harbin (plus a little extra at the end for our program’s banquet):
Saint Sophia’s Church: Russian, But All the Signs are in Chinese
Our first major stop was St. Sophia’s Church, and she did not disappoint. It was originally built in 1907 by the Russian Orthodox community that occupied Harbin during railroad construction. The cathedral feels like it was accidentally copy-pasted from Russia and dropped into China. With its massive Russian-style domed roof, red brick walls, and stained-glass windows, it was my first real “Am I still in China?” moment.
From the outside, St. Sophia is imposing in a dignified manner. It was less flashy and big than I expected, but still grand. Simply standing outside gave me a powerful sense of cultural history. Nowadays, the church serves as a historic remnant of the layers of people who once filled the space with prayer and a language that didn’t quite match the city around them.
Old Synagogue Concert Hall: For History and Music Nerds
Next up was the Old Synagogue Concert Hall. From the outside, it’s an understated building, with no loud architecture or pristine sculptures to attract any wandering tourists. From the inside, however, there’s a lingering sense of hidden history. The synagogue is a place with subtle meaning, equally capable of bursting into life or holding a silence as it pleases.
The synagogue was originally built to serve Harbin’s Jewish population, which in the early 20th century was one of the biggest Jewish communities in East Asia. Although that population has diminished and the building no longer functions as a synagogue, it’s still a remarkable testament to that time. Unfortunately, we traveled at a time when there were no performances occurring. The next time I’m in Harbin, I’ll be sure to attend a concert!
One of my favorite moments of the trip, however, happened just outside the synagogue. As we walked out, we noticed a group of locals dancing to music in the plaza. A few of my classmates jumped right in (I proudly watched from the sidelines, muttering to myself that I am not a dancer). It was a bittersweet scene, where our language barriers and cultural differences faded away. There was no explaining or translating—just the sound of music and a feeling that, for one brief moment, we were all the same.
Harbin Ice and Snow World: Frozen Disneyland but on Steroids
Two hours of sleep and a packed day of exploration could not dull our excitement as we entered Harbin’s Ice and Snow World. Museums, churches, and concert halls are cool and all, but big snow sculptures of pandas, winding ice slides, snow raves, and Elsa’s castle are, let’s be honest, way cooler.
Imagine an entire city built from ice. Now imagine that city glowing neon blue, pink, and purple. Imagine no more, because this place is all that plus an amusement park, cafeteria, hot springs, and more. Everywhere you looked were towering ice castles, frozen palaces, and sculptures so detailed they made you wonder how anyone could have that much patience to carve them out. I kept thinking: How could this possibly be ice?
At some point, I stopped taking pictures and just stared: partly because my camera froze and stopped working, and partly because there was something magical about seeing art so temporary. None of it is meant to last more than a few months, and that somehow makes it more impressive.
Also, I have never felt more alive than when I was stuck in a giant inflatable ball, on a frozen lake, like a hamster, crashing into other giant inflatable balls. A surreal time.
Final Banquet: Wearing Hanfu and Singing Backstreet Boys
After a whirlwind of freezing our faces off in Harbin, we returned to Beijing for the program’s grand finale: the CET graduation banquet. There’s nothing quite like watching a group of sleep-deprived students singing and dancing to the Backstreet Boys, “I Want It That Way,” while wearing traditional Hanfu. It was our “masterpiece,” the highlight of the banquet.
After that stellar performance and a few ruptured eardrums, each class performed their final skit of the program, being bigger, better, and funnier than the rest of the month’s. My class decided to re-enact the legend of Qu Yuan and the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, but with a few twists to modernize it.
The banquet ended with giving our teachers hand-picked gifts. In our case, we got our teachers flowers, Harbin chocolates, and a mug with our faces on it (they laughed and cried at the same time—it was funny). Some other class gift ideas were:
- A huge cake (I’m convinced they got this because they just wanted a slice for themselves)
- Inflatable figurines of each student
- Throw pillows with their faces on them
- A lucky cat statue with an abnormally buff arm
As the obligatory photo dump slideshow with melancholy music played, I looked around at my friends and classmates who helped me survive this turbulent month. Instead of getting caught up in the “we might never see each other again” vibes, I chose to see this last day as a “see you later” situation. Between the shared frostbite, long 2 AM homework nights, and our legendary boy band debut, we’re bonded for life through a shared struggle of learning Chinese. Whether it’s back in the states or another reunion in China, I’m keeping these classmates, teachers, and my roommate on accidental butt dial.