My Winter Vacation Part 6 - YangCao Mountain 羊草山

Part 1 click HERE

Part 2 click HERE

Part 3 click HERE

Part 4 click HERE

Part 5 click HERE

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Destination:  HeiLongJiang (黑龙江), China

Duration: 23 - 30 Dec 2015 (8 days)

Mode of travel: Package with Chan Brothers Travel

Flight: Air China  (via Beijing)

Damage: S$1,878/pax, Tour Guide Tip: RMB200  Local Guide Tip: S$16, other compulsory/optional tours: RMB1,420 (slit throat + heart bleed)

Currency: RMB (we rough divide by 4.5 to convert to S$)

Time Difference:  Same as Singapore

Weather: -22 to -30°C

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27.12.2015

So, we were recommended to visit YangCao Moutain 羊草山 to see more snow.

YangCao Moutain 羊草山 is the tallest mountain, about 1350m above sea level and it's introduced as the most beautiful place in Snow Village.  Best time to visit is during sun rise or sun set which we did neither -____-  We went around 10am.

This pic taken in the museum which also shows how the mountain looks like in spring/summer.

After visiting, I felt that it's not as beautiful as described....

YangCao Mountain 羊草山 = Botak Mountain

Botak Mountain = COMPLETELY EXPOSE TO WIND...

We paid RMB350 for this freaking windy botak mountain and the 梦幻家园 (Dream/Fairy Tale Land).  Overpriced but no choice....

Scroll down to see scenery of the botak mountain

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B.O.T.A.K........ with colorful flags flapping like mad ie. mad windy.   The vast of snow actually blings as if there were diamonds on them, it's a pity that the blings didn't show up in photos.

The glares from the "blings" will actually cause temporarily blindness, so I avoid staring.

Not much pine trees here, only unknown trees with skinny branches that looked as if they were coated with icy sugar.

Slope was extremely gentle, totally didn't feel like we are going up to a tall mountain.

Mini tank was actually a buggy to drive visitors up, we all walked, so not sure of how much they charge.

Blue sky, no clouds.

Not sure "Don't Climb" refers to the tree or the rocks behind.

Giggled like crazy while holding a snow ball as if I was holding a gold ball.

As I had mentioned in the previous post, snow in Snow Village is different, it's "sticky" yet fine, it's really difficult visualize I know..... Put it this way, Snow Village's snow is like super branded atas loose powder which you cannot compare with drug store brands' loose powder, heehee....

So, some people said the most beautiful snow in China is found in Snow Village.

Our tour guide told us he had brought numerous tour groups to Snow Village and there was a tourist (from other province) which left him the deepest impression a couple of years ago.

He said it's common and perfectly normal for ladies to travel solo, but a bit unusual for men.  I suppose men in nature can't deal with being alone.  So there was this particular middle age man, by himself in a tour group.  This man was well dressed, quiet and always seemed to be having something in mind.  While he didn't look too depress, he wasn't like other tourists,  not particularly happy and excited but remain polite.

The tour guide said he had to pay attention to him, fearing something might happened.  And something did happen when the tour group reached Snow Village....

From what I remembered, he said the man, collected some boxes/bottles of snow and request the tour guide to help him to transport it back to his home 0__0   Our guide was very surprised by the request.  It's not a problem to keep snow while in HeiLongJiang, but how to bring the snow up the plane??  Portable fridge is possible but the arrangements are going to be extremely tacky.

The man gotten very anxious and finally revealed the reason:

His son about 7 years old, critically ill and his wish was to see and touch snow.  To the father, it was the last thing he could do for his son: 

To bring to his son the most beautiful snow....

Oh god... why.....  TT____TT   It was not easy, and was expensive to transport snow but arrangements were made, to help this father to fulfill his child's wish.

All I want is my children to grow up healthy, have their own happy family, grow old and make life worth it.  I am really glad to have my children with me, no matter they are top students or not, no matter how much mess they make in the house, no matter how much they piss me off.... (actually they are quite good boys, seldom make me angry one ^.^).

The kind of scene which I'll never get to see back in Singapore.... expensive botak mountain, but still appreciate lah.

Hair started to froze and I was licking the salty drips from my nose beneath the mask.  Nevertheless, chio selfie, heeheehee....


No signage, nobody, we helped ourselves sliding tyres.

 After a long long time, a man came out of no where came to collect a fee from us -_____-  We should had just run away instead of paying.

This post is sweet snow and short but Part 7 is going to be long!   We traveled back to the city and felt "warmer" and more comfortable.  Temperature was about -22 in Harbin while in Snow Village it's between -25 to -30.   We tried moulding snow balls there and couldn't though.  But we had lots of fun at Volga Manor!

Another thing, thank you for dropping comments, so I know I am not writing/posting to space, heehee... thank you!