🏛️ 5A National Attractions
Last verified 22 Jul 2025
Harbin officially has 1 国家5A级 scenic area—the Sun Island Scenic Area (太阳岛风景区) on the north bank of the Songhua River. It earned the top rating in 2007 and anchors the city's year-round "ice-and-sun" tourism brand.
1 Quick Metrics
Total sites
1
Source: wlt.harbin.gov.cn
Theme
Urban wetland-park + seasonal ice-snow culture
Dual-season attraction
Entry-fee range
¥30 (off-season) • ¥120 (ice-and-snow season combo)
Seasonal pricing variation
Typical hours
08:00–17:00 (summer) • 09:00–21:30 (winter light-show)
Extended winter hours for ice festival
Real-name QR
Required (WeChat mini-program "太阳岛风景区预约")
WeChat booking system
2 Why It Matters
Ice-and-Snow origin story — The Sun Island Snow-Sculpture Expo (late Dec → late Feb) is the cradle of Harbin's world-famous Ice-Snow Festival: 100 000 m² of snow blocks carved into Tang palaces, Norse dragons and anime castles.
Summer wetland retreat — When the rest of China bakes, Sun Island's 320 ha birch groves, lotus lakes and Siberian tiger playground (separate ticket) offer +10 °C cooler breezes.
Songhua River panorama — View the century-old Stalin Park embankment and 825 m Zhongyang Street from the island's cable ferry or the 70 m Swan Tower lookout.
3 Pro Tips
1
Ice-Snow tickets – Combo QR (¥120) covers day entry + night light-show; drop 10:00, 5 days ahead.
2
Snow-Sculpture golden hour – Towers glow pastel at 15:30 – 16:30; arrive early to beat –25 °C wind-chill queues.
3
Lotus-Lake bikes (summer) – Rent e-bike ¥40/2 h near Swan Tower; 5 km circuit rings the main ponds.
4
Cable-ferry hack – Cross from Flood-Control Monument pier (¥2) instead of taxiing via river bridge.
5
Photographer pass – Tripods allowed only with free on-site registration; pick up vest at north gate kiosk.
4 The Full 5A List
🏝️
Wetland Park · Songbei
Sun Island Scenic Area / 太阳岛风景区
320 ha wetland park on Songhua's north bank; famous Snow-Sculpture Expo (Dec–Feb); Summer Sun-Island Beer Fest (Aug); cable-ferry & footbridge links to city centre; real-name QR via mini-program.
One 5A heavy-hitter—but it flips from lotus ponds to snow palaces with the seasons. Build your Harbin itinerary around Sun Island's dual personality—No Tourist Traps. No BS.