We flew over Benhong on the way into Beijing and the black patch indicating where the JiTong stabling pint had been was clearly visible although the telltale plumes of steam were absent. Arrival at Beijing was scheduled for 11:45 but we were half an hour late. This wasn’t a problem as we had six hours to kill before our next flight. After collecting our bags, we met up with Xiaolan and Robin in the arrivals hall and passed the time drinking tea. We continued on Hainan Airlines flight HU7103 to Mudanjiang, operated by a Chang An Airlines B737-800, arriving only five minutes behind schedule. At Mudanjiang, we met up with our driver and continued to Jixi by road, arriving at 22:45 despite the road being covered in snow in places. Our base for the next five days was the Qinghu Hotel, located in the ridiculously named National Territory Resources Mansion building in the centre of Jixi.