All the great stuff out there you never knew existed.
For instance (pictured above) Heilongjiag's Ice City.
Who knew???
Today's province is Heilongjiag (pronounced hay-laang-ji) in the northernmost and easternmost corner of China.
Its name means Black Dragon...and the river, of the same name, runs through it.
Twisting and turning much like our Mississippi.
Most of the province is covered with mountain ranges...with only a couple of flatter plains areas.
It is a cold place..rarely getting into the mid-seventies in summer and down to minus 20 degrees in the winter.
...yeah...screw that...
Travels here are by the vast road system, plane, train and water.
The economy is mostly construction, energy, manufacturing, and food processing. Pharmaceuticals play a lessor role.
The province also boasts of 14 million acres of rice, corn and soybeans.
These are not small family farms, but all owned by Heilongjiag LTD.
This area is also responsible for most of the petroleum in China.
Daqing Oil Fields
Most people here are either non-religious or practice Chinese Folk Religion. A small sect are Buddhist.
Jile Temple
https://youtu.be/7g69UEqzGrA
The long cold winter is a perfect backdrop for its Ice Carving Festival...which we will explore more fully later.
Until then...