A Frozen Adventure
Season 2 Episode 211 | 27m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
The hosts journey to China to explore the Harbin Ice Festival and celebrate the Chinese New Year.
In this final episode, Arne and Stig embark on a journey to Harbin and Mulan in northeastern China, famed for the spectacular Harbin Ice Festival and the lively festivities of Chinese New Year. Amidst their adventures, they savor the diverse flavors of authentic Chinese cuisine at local restaurants, adding a delicious dimension to their exploration.
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People of the North is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television
A Frozen Adventure
Season 2 Episode 211 | 27m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
In this final episode, Arne and Stig embark on a journey to Harbin and Mulan in northeastern China, famed for the spectacular Harbin Ice Festival and the lively festivities of Chinese New Year. Amidst their adventures, they savor the diverse flavors of authentic Chinese cuisine at local restaurants, adding a delicious dimension to their exploration.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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[ Wind whistling ] -Seafood from Norway.
-Telemark -- a world of culture and history, where nature knows no bounds, with the flavors of local delicacies.
Adventure awaits in Telemark.
[ Jet engine roaring ] -We have ventured north -- north in China, to the ice-cold million city Harbin.
But the welcome is warm.
-Arne!
Stig!
[ Laughs ] [ Camera shutter clicks ] -Shanny is a star in China.
She's on TV.
She's in social media.
-[ Laughs ] -She's everywhere and has a couple of million more followers than Stig and myself.
-This is "Yummy Shanny."
Mmm!
-Food is Shanny's passion.
She will be the host of this program, together with Stig and myself.
♪♪ -[ Laughs ] -[ Speaks Chinese ] -[ Laughs ] [ Speaking Chinese ] ♪♪ -Together, we will explore this exciting part of the northeast of China.
-Oh, wow!
[ Dramatic music plays ] -Ay, ay, ay.
-[ Laughs ] -It's Chinese New Year and the yearly Harbin Ice and Snow festival.
[ Sparks hissing ] ♪♪ I'm Arne Hjeltnes, and I'm gonna show you some exotic places and interesting people up north.
-I'm Stig Bareksten, and I will find good beverages and the nice flavors of the north.
-Welcome to "People of the North."
[ Down-tempo music plays ] -I'm now at the Harbin Airport, waiting to pick up two friends from Norway.
I have a great honor to be their guide this time and to show them around the city and show them the charm of Harbin.
Very excited!
[ Chuckles ] Arne!
Stig!
Hi, hi!
Very nice meeting you!
Velkommen to China!
Velkommen to Harbin!
-Ni hao.
-Ni hao.
Finally we meet together.
-[ Speaks Chinese ] -[ Speaks Chinese, laughs ] -We are so glad to be here in Harbin.
-Yeah.
-And I know you made an adventure for us.
-Yes!
Great adventure!
Let's go.
-Yeah.
-Shanny has her own TV team.
They are making a program about the program we are making.
And they're working all the time.
♪♪ -6.
-[ Laughs ] -4.
[ Speaks indistinctly ] -After a warm welcome, we are ready to explore Harbin.
♪♪ Harbin is the capital of China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang.
The city is perhaps not well-known, but there are more than 9.5 million inhabitants.
It is cold here during the winter -- approximately -15 every day.
That's why this area is called China's Siberia.
[ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ Our day starts at the Hongzhuan market, the city's largest morning market.
Shanny, what kind of market is this?
-Ah.
This is Hongzhuan Morning Market.
It's one of the famous local morning market here.
And it is open every day from 5:30 in the morning to maybe 9:30 or 9:00 a.m. every day.
You can buy vegetables, fruits, and breakfast, and everything delicious.
-Here people go and buy their groceries every day.
-Every day.
Many tourists come to Harbin this year.
This is the main location that the tourists really like to experience, to enjoy.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -Chinese people love a good market.
And in the morning market, you'll find all you need of Chinese specialties and delicacies.
For more inspiration, visit our website.
peopleofthenorth.net.
-The flavor is very good.
-Oh!
Lovely.
Sesame oil is one of the key ingredients in Chinese cuisine.
And here they are squeezing out the paste, and they have the local oil.
It has a fantastic smell.
♪♪ Kinakal.
-Yeah.
-In Norway, this is very famous, and it's called China cabbage.
-Yes!
That is China cabbage itself!
-Yeah?
-[ Laughs ] -What do you call it -- just cabbage?
-Dà bái cài.
-Dà bái cài.
Can you say it in Norwegian -- kinakal?
-K inakal.
- Kinakal.
- Kinakal!
[ Laughs ] -From the late 19th to the early 20th Century, the development of Sino-Russian trade brought more and more Russian immigrants to Harbin, and they took Russian architectural style with them.
-We're in the middle of the square in Harbin.
This church doesn't look very Chinese.
What's the story?
-Yes.
This is a Russian Orthodox church.
Yes, it's called St. Sophia Cathedral.
And now -- It's an art gallery now.
-Oh!
And this is because this city had a very strong Russian influence.
-Yes.
Had a very strong Russian influence.
And the central street was designed by the Russian designer.
-Yeah.
-Yes.
-And there's still an old Russian community in Harbin.
-There are Russians living in Harbin, and they work and live here.
-Yeah?
-Yes.
[ Russian folk music plays ] -And you see these young ladies in these angel-like costumes.
Why?
-Ah, yes.
Now it's very popular in China.
You can see on the square of this church many princesses here, or princes here [laughs] wearing the royal costume, a Russian style, and taking photo with the church.
They post the pictures on the social media.
-Oh, yeah?
-Yes.
Now it's very popular.
♪♪ -Hello!
-Hello.
-[ Laughs ] -Ni hao!
-Ni hao!
-[ Speaks Chinese ] -Norway.
-Norway.
-Norway.
Velkommen to Harbin.
-Ah.
Xièxiè.
Hello.
-[ Laughs ] -[ Speaks Chinese ] - Zhenhao.
Zhenhao.
- Zhenhao.
Okay.
And it's zh enhao.
- Zhenhao?
- Zhenhao is very good.
- Zhenhao.
-Super good.
- Zhenhao.
-[ Speaks Chinese ] -Very clear guy.
[ Chinese folk music plays ] ♪♪ -Shanny is taking us to one of China's most popular culinary treats.
Because it's here the famous sweet-and-sour pork was invented over a hundred years ago.
-Ni hao.
-Ni hao, ni hao.
-People come from far away to have this delicacy at the restaurant Lao Chúshi de Jia, which means "the Old Chef's Home."
It has been open since 1907.
-We have two versions of sweet-and-sour-pork.
Gu lao rou in Chinese.
- Gu lao rou.
- Gu lao rou.
-Yes!
Good pronunciation.
And this is the original one, and this is the new version.
-People are taking the piss out of me because this is my guilty pleasure.
I eat this every opportunity I have.
And I'm really, really looking forward to try this original one.
-Yeah.
You go first.
-Mm-hmm.
-It's different.
-And it has... perfume flavor, as well.
-Yeah.
-But I think that's the unique thing with this dish, is the balance between sweetness, sour, and saltiness.
It's -- -Yes.
-It's the reason why it's my guilty pleasure.
-And you have to try the new version, Stig.
-Mmm!
[ Laughs ] -Oh, my God.
-It tastes like flower.
-Yeah.
Mmm!
It's made of rose petals.
-Rose -- -Petals, yes.
-You can feel the taste of the flower, the rose flower, right.
-But, also, there's a little bit sweeter.
-Do you want to learn how to cook this?
-If I want to learn?
-Oh?
-Yeah!
[ Laughs ] -Of course.
-Cheers.
-Cheers!
-In the Zheng family, four generations has been keeping the original recipe since 1907.
We are meeting the great grandchild of the founder, Zheng Shuguo, and getting a cooking lesson.
We're actually now in the kitchen, Shanny, where the best sweet-and-sour pork in the world.
-Yes.
Of course.
-And here's the guy.
Fourth generation.
-Yes.
The owner and the chef here in this restaurant, Mr. Zheng.
-Mr. Zheng?
-Yes.
-Hello.
Ni hao.
-Hello.
Ni hao.
-So he is going to teach us how to make a perfect sweet-and-sour pork.
-Yes.
Of course.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ -We have a lot of viewers here -- friends from Chinese TV and about 20 chefs.
[ Laughter ] ♪♪ Originally, this dish was savory, but great grandad Zheng got help from his Russian wife, who wanted it more sweet and sour and suggested sugar and vinegar in the sauce.
-Oh, wow!
-Temperature and some key ingredients is the secret of the dish, according to Zheng Shuguo.
-I love this.
-Did you get it, Stig?
-[ Chuckles ] -Fantastic.
Now we have actually learned how to make the real Chinese sweet-and-sour pork from the best.
And for you, as a guilty pleasure, Stig -- -Oh, this is amazing.
I love this.
[ Laughter ] -If you love sweet-and-sour pork like Stig, Harbin is really worth a culinary journey, especially here at the Old Chef's Home.
We are moving on and going on a super-short trip with China's super-fast train.
Trains are very important in China.
It's very popular to use it, and they even have a high-speed train.
And that's what we are going to try.
-But of course, since it's business class, we have a business lounge.
[ Laughter ] [ Jazz music plays ] -Coffee and... -Coffee.
-Some Chinese snacks.
-The train is, unfortunately, not delayed, so we do not get much time in the lounge.
-Oh!
-Oh, yeah!
-In the front.
-Look at the slippers.
Yours.
-...slippers.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -[ Chuckles ] -And here.
-Flat bed.
-Look at this.
In every seat -- -It's a microphone.
-No.
It's not a microphone.
It's the light.
-A lot better.
-Okay.
Yes.
[ Both speak Chinese ] -Ah.
Thank you.
There is little time to enjoy the luxury, because our journey is only 10 minutes from Harbin West to Harbin Central.
♪♪ [ Soft music plays ] ♪♪ Harbin is internationally renowned for its large Ice and Snow Festival.
It has been arranged since 1963 and is held every year from December to February.
A whole city of Ice is built from around 220,000 cubic meters of ice.
The Incredible Ice Festival draws 18 million visitors every year.
You can walk between the ice castles, the wonderfully lit sculptures, the funny rides, and the Ferris wheel.
No other place on earth makes so much wonders out of ice.
And that's no wonder, given that it's really cold here during the winter.
-The park is so large.
So I rent a car.
-You have rented a car?
This is a Chinese rental car?
-[ Both laugh ] -Tourist!
Chinese tourist!
A little bus for us, yes.
-Okay.
Let's get in.
-Yes.
Let's get in.
-Ni hao.
-Ni hao.
-Our first stop is an ice hall which is open year round.
All the sculptures are made of ice.
-Inside, the temperature is -5 to -10.
-Perfect.
A bit warmer than outside here.
[ Both laughing ] -Yes.
Let's go inside.
Whoo!
-Wow!
-Here we are!
-[ Laughs ] [ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ -Ay, ay, ay!
-Wow!
♪♪ -Italian pizza tower!
-Is pizza!
♪♪ [ Laughs ] ♪♪ -Ah!
Whoo-hoo!
♪♪ -Aah!
Whoo-hoo!
[ Screaming ] -For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.
♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Laughs ] [ Screams ] [ Laughing ] ♪♪ [ Screams, laughs ] [ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ -It's the Year of the Dragon?
-Yes.
And now we have the dragon afternoon tea.
It's a Harbin dragon year special.
[ Laughing ] And -- -And what about this little fella?
-Yes.
This is the main cake of this dragon year afternoon tea.
It's a little, cute dragon.
[ Both laugh ] The dragon is the symbol of good fortune.
It's for prosperity and for all good things.
So for Chinese, it's a very lucky animal, fortune animal, and it represents, also, the wealth.
[ Laughs ] -That's good.
We have to try some of these lovely things that are put together.
-Yeah.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ Oh!
Wow!
-Mmm.
-Mmm!
-So, each cake has a meaning.
-Yes.
We can have all the best wishes here.
-I'll drink to that.
-Mmm.
Mmm!
-And that's for?
-It's for wealth.
-And money will come to your home?
-Yes.
Come.
-It's gonna be a motorbike guy with a helmet.
-[ Laughs ] -Red helmet with a bagful of money.
[ Laughter ] That's how things are delivered in China.
-[ Laughs ] Yes.
[ Both imitate engine revving ] [ Both laughing ] Cheers.
[ Glasses clinking ] -Ganbei.
-Ganbei.
[ Both speak Chinese ] ♪♪ -It is time to leave Harbin and explore more of the Heilongjiang Province, the northernmost and easternmost in China.
Far out on these plains, there are fewer people.
Our journey takes us to the charming village of Mulan.
In this area, they grow maize for a living.
But in winter, they have time to celebrate Chinese New Year properly, the Year of the Dragon.
-Oh!
-Hey!
[ Fireworks exploding ] ♪♪ Hey!
-Wow!
-Whoa!
-Come to China and light up one of these China puffs.
[ Laughter ] [ Mid-tempo music plays ] -It's the last day of the Chinese New Year.
They're ready to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
And Mr. Liu has come with his popcorn truck in order to make the celebrations perfect.
This is Chinese popcorn.
-Whoo!
Ha!
♪♪ -The popcorns are made by corn and powder and honey and white sugar inside.
♪♪ -I love the popcorn.
-Yes.
Me too!
-Thank you.
-[ Laughs ] -There are many little villages like this one on the countryside, but not very much visited.
We were actually the first Westerners to be guests in Mulan.
The maize fields are large, winter is long and hard, summer is short and warm.
People are hospitable, and we are invited to dine with a local family.
Food is different from Chinese restaurants at home, but we love dumplings and are even invited to prepare the party by making them.
It's just wheat and water?
-Wheat and water.
No sugar, no salt.
♪♪ Sometimes we put some lucky charms in the dumplings, for example the coin.
-Ah!
-Is there some similar in Norway?
-Yeah.
We put the almond in our rice porridge.
-Oh.
-Look at this.
♪♪ We are honored so much for being here and look forward to this meal.
-[ Speaking Chinese ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Just by chance, we are told that the village has an alcohol workshop.
Here they use maize, wheat, sorghum and different grains for something special.
Stig is in the seventh heaven.
[ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Now we are at the distillery where they produce baijiu.
Baijiu is the most-sold spirit in the world.
It's true craftsmanship, and the Chinese people is super-proud of this unique liquid.
♪♪ This process is quite simple, I will say.
They ferment these cereals in these concrete silos, and then they take it over to this I would call it -- It's more like a brewing equipment.
They distill on a brewing equipment.
And then they put it in there distilled, and here is the liquid.
And it's actually quite good, as well.
♪♪ And very strong.
♪♪ [ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ Today, I'm gonna make a quite different martini, because I got so inspired by this frozen pear.
That's a very traditional thing in this region.
And since we are at the distillery producing baijiu, I'm going to use a local spirit, as well.
And I think that will be a very interesting combination.
-Look.
Here is the frozen pears.
-Yes.
-We can enjoy the juice inside.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -Mmm.
-Mmm!
-This is very good.
-Amazing.
-The one we had the other day was a little bit more sweeter.
This is -- -This is more sour.
-This is more sour.
Fresher.
-Yes.
-Even better for the purpose.
-Oh really?
-That's cool.
-♪ Hey!
♪ [ Mid-tempo music plays ] -She's professional.
-Ooh!
-Wow.
Look at this!
It's amazing.
-And then... -And then...
It's also strong.
-And let me just pour.
-Ah.
-And two ingredients -- pear and the alcohol.
-Yeah.
Then we just blend this together.
-Mmm.
Bright color.
-♪ Hey, hey, hey!
♪ ♪♪ -Think this is enough for the morning?
-Yes.
Yes, for the morning.
Yeah.
[ Laughs ] -Let's call in Mr. Hjeltnes and Mr. Li.
-Here I am with Mr. Li.
He is the head of the production here.
-Ganbei.
-Ganbei.
-Ganbei.
-Ganbei.
♪♪ -Hey!
Oh!
[ Chuckles ] -Wow!
Let the Lantern Festival begin.
-Yeah.
[ Laughs ] -Only 50%.
-It's nice.
-It's nice.
-You like it?
-What do you think, Mr. Li?
-Mr. Li -- he should make a lower-alcohol liqueur with a lot of juice and, like, more fruity than this.
But fruity, like a lighter drink.
-Mnh-mnh.
-And that could be sold all over China and exported to Norway.
-To Norway.
-Oh!
-Mulan frozen-pear liqueur.
[ Laughs ] -Wow!
You're a genius!
Yeah!
-And a nice label with your picture on it.
-[ Laughs ] [ Both speak Chinese ] -Yeah.
-Cheers, everyone.
-Cheers.
-Cheers.
-And this is a wonderful start of the Lantern Festival.
-Let the party begin.
-Let the party begin.
♪♪ [ Chinese folk music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ The procession goes up and down the main road all day and night.
Rumor has it that there are people from far away at the celebration, and Shanny has to explain to the local media.
She explains that Stig was very impressed by the local spirits.
I would say...
The people where we come from, together... [ Speaks Chinese ] [ Dramatic music plays ] -For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.
Even in a little village like Mulan, the Lantern Festival is a huge thing.
It celebrates that one Chinese New Year is over and another is about to start.
This year is very special, since we are all entering the Year of the Dragon.
♪♪ The firework has ended our trip to beautiful Mulan village, and I'm so grateful that you have shown us a little bit of China that we would have been not so easy to find ourselves.
-For me, it's a great honor to guide you here.
So I'm very happy that you are happy.
-In the end, I will say it's the people, the hospitality that made this trip fantastic.
♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -For more inspiration, visit our website... -Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following -- [ Wind whistling ] -Seafood from Norway.
-Telemark -- a world of culture and history, where nature knows no bounds, with the flavors of local delicacies.
Adventure awaits in Telemark.
[ Jet engine roaring ]
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People of the North is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television