Northern highlights

Ice structures in Harbin's Ice and Snow World. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Northern European Christmas culture finds a home in the Far East in Mohe's Beiji village－China's northernmost settlement.

Mudanjiang's Jingpo Lake integrates animistic traditions with a biting-cold climate this December, when its Shaman Village opens as a new attraction.

The destination aspires to infuse traditional Manchu customs with wintertime entertainment.

Travelers can stay in wooden cabins and visit sacrificial altars, practice archery and ride in horse-drawn open sleighs. (It's yet to be seen if there will be actual jingle bells.)

They can dine on Manchu cuisine, including hotpot and fish-soup rice.

Harbin's Ice and Snow World will this year add electric carts and sled chairs. Visitors can roll over ice in inflatable tubes this winter.

The seasonal attraction will construct a new "little sibling" that can operate year-round.

And it'll build ice chutes that blast down mountainsides this year.

The city's Volga Manor will offer classes in such Russian customs as crafting nesting dolls and baking. It will also open a Russian art museum and a ski resort.