China is a big country, but relatively few tourists make it to Manchuria, in the northeastern reaches of China. With Mongolia to the west, Siberia to the north/east, and North Korea to the south(!), it doesn't have any big-name draws like the Forbidden City or the Terracotta Warriors to lure visitors.
One of the main attractions of Haerbin and Heilongjiang is the annual Ice Lantern Festival, held in a city park just a short distance away from this cache. Each winter, the locals build giant structures four and five stories tall out of blocks of ice, which are lit from within at night, providing a fantastic atmosphere to wander around in and snap photos. During my visit, the exhibits included a 50-foot tall ice slide and a miniature replica of St. Peter's Basilica.
During the day, you can kill an hour or two checking out this cache, located in Stalin Park along the Songhua River. In winter, the park hosts various snow and ice activites like sledding and skating, and in summer locals flock to its walkways to relax. The cache itself brings you to an interesting old-school socialist monument in the park, built to commemorate Haerbin's triumph over what in the past were regular floods along the river.
There are two ways to log this cache: the preferred way is to post a picture of yourself in front of the monument, with your GPS clearly visible. You've come all this way, so show the rest of us who you are! The second way, for those who might not have a camera, is to provide some information as verification of your visit. Near the coordinates is a sign dated "1998.8.22", and next to it is a number in meters (m). Email me that number. Don't post your answer in your log, even if encrypted.
Other Chinese caches by ooga booga
Haerbin, Stalin Style
A-maze-ing Old Summer Palace
West Lake - Three Pagodas
West Lake - Mid Lake Pavilion
It's a Bird! It's a Plane!
Hsien Ku Fung (Hong Kong)
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Hong Kong)
Macau's Second - Coloane's Highest (Macau)
Green Lotus Peak, Yangshuo