Braving -20°C for Breakfast: How Harbin Welcomes the Day
At 7 a.m. in Harbin, where temperatures plunge to -20°C, steaming vendors and eager locals transform frozen streets into a symphony of sizzling skillets and camaraderie. CGTN's Li Zhao and Russia Today's Salionova Alina Sergeevna navigated the icy maze of Zaolin Market, tasting golden-fried dough twists, savory tofu pudding, and paper-thin flatbread stuffed with spiced pork.
'Harbin mornings are about grit and flavor,' said Sergeevna, her breath visible in the frosty air. 'You see grandmas in fur hats haggling over pickled cabbage, then sharing hot soybean milk with strangers.' The market reflects the city's Russian-Chinese heritage – vendors hawk tanghulu (candied fruit skewers) beside beetroot-filled dumplings, remnants of Harbin's 20th-century Eurasian trade roots.
Food bloggers call it 'breakfast as theater': chefs flip jianbing (savory crepes) on searing griddles while butchers demonstrate ice-carving techniques on fresh meat. For digital nomads exploring China’s northeast, it’s a masterclass in cold-weather resilience – and why 63% of Harbin residents start their day outdoors, according to local surveys.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
