In rural northeast and north China, the warmest spot in winter is not the radiator - it is the kang, a bed built of brick or earth with flues running through it: the heat from the cooking fire warms the bed, so you sleep hot and firm and wonderfully cosy.
The kang is a multi-purpose machine: by day a table goes on it for meals and homework, guests are honoured by being invited onto the kang, and the whole family squeezes on one kang to chat, watch shows and play cards - the daily rhythm of a northern winter.
Kang etiquette: shoes off first; elders take the kangtou (the hottest end near the stove), younger folks the kangshao. Cotton quilts and cushions stay on all winter, and your feet stay warm all day.
City dwellers now have central heating, but farm stays and guesthouses in the northeast keep real kang experiences - one night on a heated kang after a day in Harbin or Changbai Mountain is the Chinese warmth visitors love most.
Tips: the kang is hard - pile on extra mattresses if you are not used to it; an over-hot kang can dry you out, so drink plenty of water.
