Everyday life in China’s frozen Northeast
“Will you come see me if you have the time? See how snow can grow old, how my eyes melt,” croons Leon in his viral 2020 song “Mohe Dance Hall,” allegedly based on real people the Xinjiang-born singer-songwriter encountered in Mohe, China’s northernmost city. The melancholy ballad about lost love is set in a frozen landscape time seemingly forgot, and brought everyday life in China’s northeastern region under the spotlight.
Though it’s located just 45 degrees north of the equator—the same latitude as New York and Milan—China’s Northeast, also known as Dongbei or Manchuria, has an unusually frigid climate, with temperatures frequently reaching minus-20 degrees Celsius in winter. The Northeast was sparsely settled throughout Chinese history: Even the Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty (1616 – 1911), who hailed from the Northeast, promptly abandoned their ancestral homeland and moved down south to Beijing soon after founding their empire.
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It’s Snow Time: Winter in China’s Northeast is a story from our issue, “Sports for All.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
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