10 Days in Daqing

The memorial to Wang Jinxi — the 1205 team driller who put down his first well in five days and four hours after arriving in 1960 — sits beside the exhibition of the 1959 discovery well; both free, museums closed Mondays.

1. daqing tieren memorial
2. daqing oilfield history museum

The city museum's Ice-Age hall lines up mammoth and woolly-rhino skeletons dug from these plains; the Longfeng wetland spreads over 50 km² inside the city.

1. daqing museum
2. daqing longfeng wetland

South to the Songji-3 site where the oil came in on 26 September 1959, then to the Sa-55 well drilled in five days and four hours — the two derricks that start every Daqing story.

1. daqing songji well
2. daqing iron man first well

Out to Dorbod county, where 18 linked lakes carry the Lianhuanhu name and the springs resort sits among them — a soak and a lakeside fish lunch.

1. daqing lianhuan hu hot springs

A slow lake-loop day — tea, chess players and laundry done before the Harbin overnight.

1. daqing liming lake

The HSR runs about 40 minutes east; afternoon on the Songhua riverside and in the baroque old quarter, overnight in the city.

1. harbin

Cathedral square in the morning light, a last riverside walk, then the midday train back to Daqing for a long night.

1. harbin

South by rail about an hour to Qiqihar, then 26 km to the Zhalong reserve — 2100 km² of reed marsh where red-crowned cranes summer; flight-demo hours are posted at the gate.

1. zhalong

The quieter lake north of the center — fishing platforms, poplar shade and a slow picnic; the city's softest afternoon.

1. daqing heiyu lake

A market breakfast of the northeast's staples, a last wetland boardwalk if the mood takes, then the HSR — Harbin about 40 minutes east.

1. daqing city markets