By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-31 10:02

While most wintertime holidaymakers rush south to balmy beaches, Harbin provides the polar opposite type of vacation destination.

The capital of Heilongjiang province is located about 400 km south of Siberia, as the arctic wind blows. Its frigid climate makes the city a hotspot for travelers during the annual Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival, but there's much more to this winter wonderland.

Harbin is home to the world's largest Siberian tiger reserve, Dongbei Laohu Yuan, and a trip to this park provides a real ride on the wild side.

Visitors board a small bus ($9) that sputters through the tall, chain-link gates of the tigers' range. More than 800 of the endangered cats dwell among the park's 10 districts, and none of them seem shy. Once inside, the bus starts slaloming among the tigers, as if they were big, stripy traffic cones with claws and fangs.

Next, a SUV, encased in black caging, appears and also starts zipping to and fro among the tigers. The powerful predators know this is their dinner train and immediately give chase.

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