Jingbo Lake in the winter. [Photo provided to China Daily]

To date, there are 11 airports connecting the province to major cities across the country as well as Russia and South Korea, and the US.

At the moment, new airports at Suifenhe, Wudalianchi and Jiansanjiang are being built and are expected to be operational soon.

The new airports will give tourists access to lesser-known but equally exciting places.

"For example, Jiansanjiang is a great place for agricultural tours, and visitors can see modern agricultural practices," says Hou.

Coming back to my visit, strangely enough, my sensitivity to the freezing cold was blunted by the magnificent polychromatic ice sculptures at the ice-snow world at night.

Some of them were replicas of imposing historical buildings and monuments that are close to if not to scale. They were just more stunning rendered in ice with colorful lights shimmering from within.

And there were mazes and slides fashioned from ice where people were enjoying themselves.

The snow-making machine was still buzzing and preparations were underway to present yet more exciting winter experiences to visitors in January and February.

So, if you are inured spending winter in tropical sites like Sanya in Hainan and want to feel what winter is supposed to feel like, go before spring ultimately delivers Harbin's ice world's annual apocalypse.