My first time riding a horse in a snow-covered forest, the fairytale Arxan

This post documents my one and only perfect trip to Arxan at the age of 25. In early 2023, I stumbled upon a post about Arxan on Taobao and was immediately awestruck by the unfrozen river. Before my 25th year ended, I finally managed to book a trip there, and luckily, I managed to snag a slot led by Da Bin himself. Previously, I always planned and arranged my own trips, so I was a little uneasy when Da Bin said he'd take care of everything. But the truth is, the four-day, three-night trip he arranged was incredibly smooth and meticulously planned, perfectly adapting to the weather and my own condition each day – something I could never achieve when planning my own trips. Our four-day, three-night itinerary was as follows: 1️⃣ Day 1 (pp. 2-5): Feixianling Hundred-Mile Rime Ice Landscape + Xing'an Aobao + Mountain Road Skiing + Deer Park at Dear Inn + Bailang Peak 2️⃣ Day 2 (pp. 6-12): Sunrise Water Freezing into Ice + Unfrozen River + Rafting + Mo'a Highway + Cold Iron Flower Night 3️⃣ Day 3 (pp. 1, pp. 13-15): Mountain and Water Rock Paintings + Ten Great Bays Emerald Ice + Blue Ice + Snow Forest Horse Riding + Blue House + Old-fashioned Rural KTV 4️⃣ Day 4 (Too many pictures to fit 😭): Rose Peak + China-Mongolia Border Gate + Yier City Electric Tower Mountain + Million-Mu Man-Made Forest, Airport Return Trip As someone who loves animals, this place was truly paradise. Not only were there cows, sheep, and horses everywhere, but we also petted a wolf and a dog belonging to a horse-raising uncle, and even encountered a wild fox (what a coincidence!!! It came running like a dog when called). We traveled and explored at our own pace, truly spending the least amount of money to see the most beautiful scenery, have the most fun, and take the best photos. Four days and three nights, including chartered car, accommodation, and meals, cost less than 1500 RMB per person, and we had an incredibly enjoyable time!!! Finally, I really, really want to thank Brother Da Bin again. Is there anything you can't do? No other tour leader could do this. Having Brother Da Bin was like having a whole team: a professional driver, magic tricks and guitar performances during meals, and free photos taken with a drone. When I rode my horse into the forest and didn't ask him to film me because the snow was too deep, he caught up on horseback and captured another memorable video. Even in near-minus 30 degrees Celsius, he shared his coat, hat, and sunglasses with us, and even with his hands frozen, he helped us take photos, and helped us put on our clothes, shoes, and socks (p18). No other tour leader could do that. Goodbye Arxan, I'll definitely come back! Take me there again!