Posted on Sun, 19 Jun 2011

Why We Need To See Manzhouli

Not long ago, some information fell on my lap about the opening of the new Shangri-La Hotel Manzhouli. Not Hong Kong, Shanghai or Beijing? Not Chengdu? Where in the world is Manzhouli, I wondered. Perhaps it’s not nothing of interest to the SimplyFab Community for Luscious Living…but I opened the file anyway and poked around. Luckily, the information provided anticipated my overriding question, “Duh?” and out sprang all I needed to know about Manzhouli and why one simply just has to go there, along with all the odd, weird, unheard of corners of earth that we should step into at least once in our lifetime if moolah and time permits!

The fascination for this bit of news was helped along too by the fact that I am currently reading up on lots of Chinese history and classic literature like ‘San Guo’ (Three Kingdoms) and some travelogue about walking along the Great Wall – an interest sparked ever since I watched Disney’s ‘Mulan’ with my daughter years ago. (I wanna be Mulan and get the hot general, too! NOT the fat guys pictured here, ya.)

Anyways, to answer our shared question, Manzhouli turns out to be a city at the north-eastern tip of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and bordering the Russian town of Zabaykalsk. Here, Chinese, Mongolian and Russian cultures meet. Mandarin and Russian are mostly spoken, and the urban areas are full of colourful Russian architecture of the Classical, Baroque and Gothic eras. Sounding interesting now? The picture of the skyline is pretty impressive too, no? (Look, Ma! Tall buildings!)

The Argun River borders China and Russia, and was once inhabited by tribes as diverse as the Donghu, the Xiongnu (of Mulan fame), the Khitan, Jurchen and the Mongols. Manzhouli’s claim to fame is that it’s the busiest land port in China and over half of China’s import/export trade with Eastern Europe passes through here!

So what does the tourist see beyond onion-domed buildings? The 2,339 square kilometre freshwater Hulun Lake is good for birdwatchers as it has over 241 bird species. There’s loads of fish in the water too, and you can go boating or ice fishing depending on the season. There’s the 60,000-square-metre square Matryoshka Doll Square with the world’s tallest matryoshka, (30 metres tall – how many other dolls inside, I wonder). For shopping – I don’t think Prada has an outlet there, sorry - head to National Gate, the crossing point for trains between Russia and China, to load up on lustworthy Russian must-have’s like army surplus goodies, canned foods, snacks and vodka (lychee martini anyone?!). Then for some swinging nightlife, leg it to the Soviet-sounding Sino Russian Trade Zone, one of the town’s main attractions. Apart from its scenic beauty, and the fact that it is an export processing area and industrial park by day, summer nights transform it into the place to see and be seen amid its bars, restaurants and karaoke facilities! Yay!

And speaking of dins, this is the best time to tuck into funky Manzhouli cuisine, which focuses on the best lamb in China. According to the information provided, little lambsy “has been bred to perfection over the centuries and grazes on the perennial grasses and pot-herbs of the unpolluted Hulunbuir Grasslands. Hotpot and whole roasted lamb are two dishes that show the meat off to best advantage”. And with Hulun Lake filled with fish, a nine-course fish banquet with each course featuring a different local fish, is a must-eat. For sundowners, sip on lightly fermented mare’s milk drink, kumis, and nibble on Russian lieba bread.

Shangri La Manzhouli
If you’re now rushing to book your tix to Manzhouli, remember accommodation! Only luxury will do, so make it Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli which just opened in April. Just a stroll from the main shopping and entertainment district, the 235 rooms in the hotel overlooks Xiaobei Lake, the city or the expansive grasslands with jagged mountains beyond, plus a connecting shopping arcade! It currently has three, all-day dining Café 99 and Lobby Lounge for drinks overlooking Xiaobei Lake. By now, the hotel would be opening its fourth restaurant Salt and Bread, specialising in traditional Russian cuisine like Chicken Kiev, Beef Stroganoff and Shashlik, with nightly performances by Russian musicians. Its Horizon Club gives guests a higher level of facilities and more privacy – aka Club Rooms. The hotel is 20 minutes from the airport and within a five-minute drive of the railway station. Fly or take the train to Manzhouli from Beijing, Guangzhou, Dalian and Harbin, or from Moscow and Chita in Russia, then tick it off on your checklist of odd cities of the earth to visit! Avoid it in January though when average temperatures plunge to subzero.