Northeast China – I've got one word for my leg of this adventure: diversity! And boy, are we celebrating that fact on this Northeast Route of the New China series.
People say "to know somewhere is to go there." And that couldn’t be more true about China as a whole.
When our New China bus rolled into Harbin, I was so excited. The cultural diversity is palpable here. You can see it, feel it and taste it.
Both nights in Harbin, I ate my weight in authentic Russian food... perfectly crafted by Chinese chefs who have learned how to cook this cuisine for decades.
Erica's favorite cabbage wraps. /CGTN Photo
(The cabbage wraps are my favorite, alongside the lamb chops... oh, wait! The beef stew... oh! And the bread!)
The list goes on.
My cohost, Cui Hui'ao, and I were given 300 yuan to spend for our New Media live show – so we hit Central Street – to buy up all the local specialties!
We started with ice lollys (which is a combination of ice cream in a popsicle form – he got vanilla and I got coffee flavor... tasty!)
Anchors trying local food for New Media live show. /CGTN Photo
We walked the beautiful cobblestone street – carefully in my heels I might add – to buy the famous Harbin sausage and Russian bread.
The sausage was soft. And delicious. Not greasy. (My Italian heritage dad would love it.) And the bread was huge! Hard on the outside, soft in the middle (My Czechoslovakian heritage mom would love that).
Hui'ao and I also sipped Harbin beer. Look – I’m not a big beer girl, But I LOVED it. Big fan. If you go to Harbin, drink the local beer. It's a slightly hoppy but also light beer.
Anchors trying Harbin beer and bread. /CGTN Photo
While we were walking and talking down the main drag, we made some friends! A couple of women friends, one visiting from Shanghai, the other from Daxing. They met in Harbin to catch up and both couldn't wait to eat at a Russian restaurant for dinner. Me and Hui'ao were sure to give them menu suggestions! Interestingly enough, the girl from Shanghai, was here to ski – that's right, in mid-September – because apparently Harbin is home to the world’s largest indoor ski slope! Who knew.
(Lest we forget that it famous for its annual Ice Festival... I really need to come back for that.)
Anchors interviewing with tourists on the Central Street. /CGTN Photo
Back to Harbin. The Russian influence is strong here. With the border only 700 kilometers, it makes sense. My sister back in America has always been obsessed with those famous Russian nesting dolls. I was so excited to find high quality ones to choose from in Harbin.
Anchors with Russian cellist. /CGTN Photo
The beauty of this CGTN New China bus tour... at least for us personally... is the opportunity to actually experience these places during the little bit of downtime we get.
I got the chance to see the St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral in Harbin's center. Built in 1907, it is the largest Eastern Orthodox church. A gorgeous edifice with clear Russian architecture in the dome-shaped turrets.
St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral. /CGTN Photo
We are now on our way toward the Korean border... and no doubt, the cultural influence will change. I have already had kimchi for lunch. Ha!
So far, the Northeast has really had an impact on me – it has opened my mind even more about China. A nation that even though has been officially opening up to the world for only 40 years – has clearly been celebrating diversity for decades longer than that.
(Cover: Anchors Erica Pitzi & Cui Huiao in front of the studio bus. /CGTN Photo)