Snow Falls in Mohe: Encountering a Winter Fairy Tale at China's Arctic Circle

As the train carries travelers through the vast snowy forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains, a fairy tale about "finding north" slowly unfolds across the boundless snowfields of Mohe. This is the northernmost point of China, the "Arctic Circle of China" where even at minus forty degrees, hearts can still burn warmly. Every snowflake and every Korean pine tree here tells a story of romance and wildness in the far north. Outfits: Colors and Warmth in Extreme Cold In Mohe’s icy world, dressing is both a defense against the cold and an expression of aesthetics. A bright blue ethnic-style sweater contrasts sharply with the white snow of the Ewenki Reindeer Park, paired with a fluffy animal-shaped hat that instantly transforms you into a fairy tale character — the inspiration for this hat likely comes from the gentle reindeer in the forest, whose fur glows warmly under the snowy light, becoming the most vivid adornment in the extreme cold. To fully immerse yourself in this pure white world, an off-white down suit is an excellent choice. The fluffy fabric wraps around the biting minus thirty-degree cold, while a colorful scarf flows around the neck like the aurora, echoing the brilliant light show that might suddenly appear in the Arctic Village night sky, adding a lively touch to the vast snowfields. In Mohe, dressing is never just about monotonous warmth; it’s a dialogue with the far northern scenery — you can be a forest elf in the reindeer park or a traveler chasing light in the Arctic Village. Pine Forests and Snow Trails: A Secret Stroll at 53° North Latitude Mohe’s forests are dominated by Korean pines and white birch trees. The tall Korean pines stand straight like swords; snow bends the pine needles but cannot suppress the breath of the forest. You can stroll through the Songyuan Primeval Forest Park, a "city forest" that survived a great fire in 1987, where every ancient tree tells a story of resilience in the far north. Walking through knee-deep snow, hearing the "crunch" spreading in the silence, you might feel as if you’ve stepped into the filming location of Frozen. Even more enchanting is the light and shadow in the birch forest. Sunlight penetrates the white trunks, casting mottled golden patterns on the snow. Wearing light-colored clothes and standing there, the moment captured by the camera looks like a frame from a Nordic film. This is Mohe’s "love secret place," where countless travelers make promises of lifelong commitment — after all, what could be more romantic than holding hands in a white birch forest at 53° north latitude? Reindeer Companions: A Gentle Encounter with Forest Spirits At the Ewenki Reindeer Park, an intimate encounter with the "four-not-like" (a local name for reindeer) is the soul of a Mohe trip. For ten yuan, you can buy a basket of moss, and the gentle reindeer will come close. Their antlers still hold unmelted snowflakes, and when their moist noses brush your palm, they carry the scent of the forest. These creatures, regarded by the Ewenki people as "boats of the forest," are Mohe’s softest calling card. You can, like in the photo, let the reindeer’s large antlers gently brush your shoulder, leaving a silhouette of you and the reindeer in the snow. If you visit during Christmas season, reindeer pulling sleds through the forest, with the sound of bells mixed with falling snowflakes, might make you momentarily believe Santa’s sleigh has mistakenly arrived at China’s Arctic Circle. Finding North: Anchoring Direction at the Northernmost Point Half of Mohe’s charm lies in the ritual of "finding north." Check in at the "China’s Northernmost Point" monument in Arctic Village, standing at the coordinates 53°33′43″ north latitude, where your phone’s GPS proudly shows "You have arrived at China’s northernmost point." Send a postcard from the northernmost post office, and the blessings stamped with the "northernmost" postmark will travel through snowy forests to reach your loved ones. You can even buy a popsicle at the northernmost convenience store and take the first bite in the minus thirty-degree air — this "extreme cold yet sweet to the heart" experience is unique to Mohe. If you’re lucky enough, you might encounter the aurora on a cold night in Arctic Village. As the green and purple lights dance in the night sky, the whole world falls silent, as if only the aurora’s flow and the pounding of your heart remain between heaven and earth. Even if you don’t catch the aurora, the clear starry sky is breathtaking — the Milky Way stretches across the horizon like a silver ribbon, and when a meteor streaks by, all the fatigue from "finding north" becomes worthwhile. Snow falls year after year in Mohe; the fairy tale here plays out season after season. When you leave, stepping through knee-deep snow, you’ll find that this far northern land has already planted a seed in your heart — about snow, about reindeer, about the romance of the far north. When the winter snow falls again next year, it will sprout, urging you to return for another icy and snowy rendezvous at China’s Arctic Circle. Mohe · Greater Khingan Mountains