绥化市

Why this place

Suihua is a farming city in the middle of Heilongjiang's black-soil belt — the most fertile soil in China, which is why this province feeds a large part of the country. There is little to see architecturally, but the scale of the fields is impressive.

What to see

• The black-soil farmland and the harvest in September, which is dramatic at scale
• The Hulan River wetlands and the surrounding marsh parks
• County-level Korean and Manchu villages in the surrounding area

What to eat

• Heilongjiang rice and corn
• Northeast pickled cabbage and pork dishes

Best time

June–September