Never before had I gone on a business trip where the primary indicator of success was simply “coming back home alive.” Harbin was the first destination where I was more concerned about survival than the actual work.

When it was confirmed that I’d be part of the team heading to the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, we immediately looked up the average temperature of what’s known as the coldest city in Asia. The forecast at the time showed it could drop to -25°C. My brain couldn’t even process what that kind of cold felt like. The coldest winter I’d ever experienced was -2°C—and that was back in 2013. I wasn’t sure if my tropical body still remembered how to deal with winter weather.

During office discussions before our departure, we reassured ourselves that we’d give it a shot, and if the cold was unbearable, we could just stay holed up in the Media Press Center. We even browsed some places to visit and half-heartedly told ourselves, “Yeah, we’ll see if we can make it there…”

So what did our scared asses end up doing on our first night in Harbin? We went for a NIGHT walk.

This was my first time setting foot in mainland China, and a lot of it took me by surprise.

Maybe I had consumed too much Western propaganda about China. I knew China had a lot of great things, but that image was always overshadowed by the stereotype that China makes cheap, low-quality products that aren’t built to last.

Harbin is in Heilongjiang province, which has the second-lowest per capita GDP in China. It’s also located so far from the capital, Beijing, that I imagined it would be like a northern extension of Jakarta—basically, a place with nothing much going on. I looked up Harbin on Google, but my brainwashed mind just thought, Ah, maybe those nice pictures are just the polished parts of the city they use for show.

Then, on the morning of our second day, as we left the hotel for the event venue, I finally saw the city in broad daylight—and, as always, I felt sad. How can a city so far from the country’s capital look this good? Why can’t we have something like this back in Indonesia?

We met the CGTN crew at the venue, and they wanted to interview us—on the frozen river. What a leap of achievement for people who had once considered staying at the venue for the entire event. Hahaha…

All in all, it was a very pleasant visit. If I have another chance to come back to Harbin, I gladly would.

The beautiful opening ceremony

My boss in front of Harbin Catherdral

Street foods, my love

This is part of 39 in 39 series. Read the full list here!