Daqing is an oil town in far northwestern Heilongjiang Province, about 150 km northwest of Harbin. The city is China's largest oil producer and also has a burgeoning electronics and IT sector and growing capabilities in machinery manufacture.

Set in swampy prairie land and subject to freezing winter temperatures, it hardly seems the ideal city to visit or live in, but Daqing has its charms. The surrounding countryside is actually very beautiful: in warm weather, Annular Lake is a magnet for birds and has a wild, steppe-like beauty, and the opportunities for winter sports in Daqing are abundant, provided you rug up against the bone-chilling cold.

Being a dongbei town, Daqing specializes in the hearty, sustaining cuisine of the northeast, and has a few local specialties based on freshwater fish, as well as all the usual dongbei favorites. Finding something to drink after hours isn't a problem either, and if you're partial to vodka, Daqing is definitely for you!