Volga Manor

Russian-style garden manor (rebuilt St. Nicholas Church—the 'First Church of the Far East', recreated in 2006 / Pavlov Castle), winter ice-and-snow castle + Russian food and song-and-dance shows. A Russian-style garden manor on the outskirts of Harbin, set on the lakeside woods and wetlands along the Ashi River, where a number of classic Russian-style buildings from Harbin's history have been recreated: St. Nicholas Church is a full-size replica—this wooden building, known as the 'First Church of the Far East', was destroyed at its original site in 1966 and rebuilt inside the manor in 2006 following the original drawings and craftsmanship, becoming the manor's spiritual landmark; buildings such as Pavlov Castle and the Volga Hotel dot the lakeshore, and a Russian bakery and vodka tavern let visitors taste authentic Russian food. In winter the manor turns into an ice-and-snow castle, where snowmobiling and Russian song-and-dance dinner banquets max out the 'Russia without leaving the country' experience, while summer forest cycling and lakeside camping are refreshing and pleasant; admission approx. CNY 100 with lodging charged separately, a direct shuttle bus runs from downtown, suitable for a day trip or an overnight stay.

Getting there: self-drive from downtown / direct shuttle bus