Even if the Chinese understand that there is civilization beyond the Great Wall, most tourists do not. The lands to the northeast of Beijing represent some of the least traveled and most challenging regions of China. Compared with other hotspots in China, it is still difficult to visit but, because it is not as hyped as other parts of China, is still fresh and free of the tourism problems of other parts of China.

    Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria , is a geographical region of China , consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning , Jilin  and Heilongjiang .The heartland of the region is the Northeast China Plain . Another term for the area is Guandong，meaning "east of the gate," referring to the gate at Shanhaiguan . This name was also used by the Japanese to their leased territory  of Dalian , as Kwantung Chou , and its Kwantung Army  which was later mobilized to set up the puppet state  of Manchukuo  in Northeast China. Since Deng Xiao Ping's "reform and opening up"， other regions such as the Pearl River Delta and the area around Shanghai have developed enormously, based mainly on trade and light industry. The North East has not had quite that spectacular sort of development, but it is doing very well indeed. As elsewhere, the coastal regions have some of the fastest development; in the North East, Dalian is one of the most prosperous cities.

    Despite the industrial buildup, North East can claim China's largest natural forest area, its most uncontaminated grassland area, and one of its most spiritual lakes (Tian Chi). Because of its climatic conditions, Northeast China is the base for China's winter sports . Ice hockey  and ice skating  athletes often come from or were educated in Northeast China. In general, the culture of Northeast China takes its elements from the cultures of North China  and Shandong , where most of the Han Chinese  migration into Northeast China, originated, the native Tungusic peoples , and its own innovations.

    Located in the hub of North East Asia, Harbin is regarded as the Stunning Pearl of Euro-Asia Bridge. With Fierce snow winters and ice festivals and characteristic Russian buildings, it is regarded as “Oriental Moscow”, “Paris in Far East”, etc.