Harbin.
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Overview

Harbin (哈尔滨 Hā'ěrbīn) is the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. The city is notable for its Russian influence and the yearly Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, giving it the unofficial title Ice City.

Understand

Harbin is China's northernmost major city, with a population in excess of 10 million, and over 4 million in the city center alone. The city has been influenced a lot by neighboring Russia, in particular after the October Revolution of 1917, when the Russians of the White movement that supported the deposed czar escaped the country after the communist takeover, many of whom settled in Harbin. Although most of these Russians were deported back to Russia during the Soviet occupation of Harbin at the end of World War II or fled following the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, the Russian influence remains clearly visible in the building styles and foods. As a significant minority of these White Russians were Jewish, Harbin also has much Jewish heritage to explore.

The city was founded in 1897 as a camp for Russian engineers surveying the Trans-Siberian Railway. Labor demands brought in a collection of outcasts from across Russia, Poland and even from within Manchuria. The city was captured by the Japanese during World War II and later taken back by the Soviet Union in 1945, before being returned to China in 1952. Once nothing more than a Russian-built outpost of the railway line, Harbin has managed to become a major player in its own right and the capital of Heilongjiang Province.

History Early history Harbin's history of human habitation can be traced back to at least the Neolithic period, but until the Five Dynasties era, it remained a largely quiet and undeveloped land, falling under the jurisdiction of the Fuyu Kingdom and the Bohai Kingdom successively. During the Five Dynasties period, the Harbin region became part of the Liao dynasty's Dongjingdao (Eastern Capital Circuit). In 1114, the Jurchen leader Wanyan Aguda led a revolt against the Liao dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor in 1115, establishing the Jin dynasty with the era name "Shouguo." The capital was set in Huining Prefecture (Shangjing Huining Prefecture of Jin), and Harbin became part of the capital's surrounding area.

Around the founding of the Jin dynasty, Harbin experienced unprecedented social and economic development. Its residents were primarily concentrated along the banks of the Hejia, Majia, and Ashi Rivers. Several ancient city sites from this period include Wanbao Ancient City (north of Houchengzi Village, Wanbao Town, Songbei District), Songshan Ancient City (west of Songshan Village, Taiping Town, Daoli District), Pingle Ancient City (west of Zhenghuang Santun, Pingxin Township, Pingfang District), Sifangtai Ancient City (south of Sifangtai Village, Qunli Township, Daoli District), and Molijie Ancient City (east of Moli Village, Xingfu Township, Xiangfang District). These cities remained prosperous through the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

During the Yuan and Ming periods, Harbin became the territory of Genghis Khan's third brother, Khasar, and later fell under the jurisdiction of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission. In the mid to late Qing Dynasty, policies such as the "Jingqi Reclamation" and "Opening the Land for Settlement" led to an influx of Manchu and Han migrants to the Harbin region. However, by the 19th century, much of the area was still farmland. After the relaxation of settlement restrictions in Northeast China during the Daoguang Emperor's reign, large numbers of people settled along the lower reaches of the Hulan River and the Ashi River. Migrants from the "Chuang Guandong" movement arrived in Harbin, gradually forming fishing villages and settlements.

Period of foreign influence On June 3, 1896, Tsarist Russia coerced the Qing government into signing the "Sino-Russian Treaty of Alliance", granting Russia the right to construct the China Eastern Railway.

In 1898, the city was officially named Harbin, though Tsarist Russia briefly renamed it "Songhua River City" the same year. On July 14, 1903, the China Eastern Railway was fully operational, and the city reverted to the name Harbin. Russian and other European immigrants began to settle in large numbers.

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China established Binjiang County in Harbin in 1913.

Harbin, often referred to as the "Moscow of the East," experienced a decline in Russian influence after the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). In 1905, the Qing government established the Guandao Office to oversee affairs for Chinese residents outside the railway zone and to collect tariffs from foreign merchants. Immigrants from 33 countries, including the United States, Germany, Poland, Japan, and France, moved to Harbin, bringing the foreign population to 160,000. Over time, 16 countries established consulates, and thousands of businesses, banks, and enterprises were founded, making Harbin a prominent international economic, financial, and transportation hub in Northeast Asia. This laid the foundation for Harbin's role as the northern center of Northeast China and an international city.

In December 1918, during the Russian Civil War, thousands of Tsarist officers and soldiers fled to Harbin. Subsequently, Harbin became a major settlement for Jewish and White Russian exiles, making it the largest Russian expatriate community outside of Russia.

Modern era During the puppet state of Manchukuo, Harbin served as a provincial capital. After the Soviet Red Army captured the city, it was handed over to the Republic of China, reestablishing Harbin as a Special City (for the third time), directly under the jurisdiction of the Nationalist Government in Nanjing.

On April 28, 1946, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered the city, bringing it under the leadership of the North Manchuria Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Later, it was governed by the Northeast Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and the Northeast Administrative Committee. Harbin became the first city liberated by the PLA, earning it the title of "Eldest Son of the Republic."

Northeast China, including Harbin, became an industrial center by utilizing factories left behind by the Soviet Union and Japan. However, by the 1980s, these outdated and inefficient factories struggled to keep pace with China's economic reforms. Complicating matters further, starting in the early 1990s, large numbers of workers from state-owned enterprises were laid off. Like many other cities in Northeast China, Harbin has faced challenges such as an aging workforce and unemployment. Private enterprises are primarily concentrated in sectors such as services, retail, and dining, while most large companies remain state-owned. Thousands of state-owned enterprises in the province have been up for sale, with many purchased since the late 1990s.

Harbin's universities also play a critical role in the educational and research-driven economy through their subsidiaries.

In 2005, Harbin experienced a significant environmental disaster involving severe pollution of the Songhua River.

Geography Located in northeastern China, in the southern part of Heilongjiang Province, and on the southeastern edge of the Songnen Plain, Harbin lies on the southern bank of the middle reaches of the Songhua River. Harbin serves not only as a critical node of the "T-shaped" railway system (the China Eastern Railway) but also as a geographical "crossing point." A crossing point refers to a location where land-based transportation routes must cross a river via bridges or ferries, often becoming hubs for population and goods movement, making them favorable sites for urban development. Historically, two cities exemplify development due to crossing points: London, thriving because of the Thames River, and Harbin, flourishing due to the China Eastern Railway. Additionally, because it is situated on the slender "neck" of Heilongjiang Province—whose shape resembles a swan—it is also called the "Pearl City beneath the Swan's Neck."

To accommodate the flow of the Songhua River, Harbin's urban layout is tilted 45 degrees. Streets such as East Dazhi Street and West Dazhi Street are actually diagonal. The city lacks major roads oriented strictly north-south or east-west. When asking for directions, locals rarely use compass directions in their responses. The city's layout can be understood as follows: Dazhi Street is the main thoroughfare, with Metro Line 1 running through it. The street is divided by Hongbo Square, home to the Provincial Museum, into East Dazhi Street and West Dazhi Street.

North of Dazhi Street lies the area most frequented by travelers. Bounded by the Binzhou Railway, the west side is bustling Daoli District, home to the famous Central Avenue (Zhongyang Dajie). The east side is Daowai District, which preserves much of Harbin's historic charm. Across the Songhua River lies the area known as Jiangbei (North of the River), where Sun Island is being developed into an all-encompassing, one-stop tourist destination.

Harbin is known for its very cold winters: in January, temperatures average -24 °C to −12 °C. Bring more clothes than you will think you will need so that you can layer. Winter can become dreary if you are a long-term resident, as the entire city uses coal for heat; air quality rapidly decreases during these months. But it's not as bad as Beijing, many locals wear their masks not for the pollution, but for the ice-cold wind and the frosty temperatures to heat up the air they breathe.

Harbin can be a great place to visit in the summer, with daytime temperatures normally in the upper 20s °C. Compared with most places in China, the weather is cool and it seems to be perpetually breezy, and most of the city's streets are lined with trees. Because the city is so cold all winter, life almost explodes and people crowd the streets until late at night eating kabobs, playing poker, and drinking Harbin Beer (哈啤 Hapi). This is a great escape from the heat of Beijing. A trip up to the border regions this time of year would be nice as well.

The vast majority of the foreigners living in Harbin are either Russian or Korean, with the Russians obviously being the more visible of the two. Much of the famous "Dongbei hospitality" has worn thin, with native Harbiners holding an increasingly negative view of foreigners in general. But that does not under any circumstances mean that they will not stare at you or take pictures of you, especially if you have fair hair and coloured eyes, and for men a beard.

There are also a small number of European and Brazilian professionals working in the city, as well as a number of English teachers hailing from various countries. However, the lack of foreign investment in the province as a whole means that most of the resident expats are either students or teachers. There are also a number of African and Middle Eastern students studying at the high-profile Harbin Institute of Technology.

Districts

Harbin has 9 urban districts, 2 county-level cities and 7 counties. Urban districts: Daoli District, Nangang District, Daowai District, Pingfang District, Songbei District, Xiangfang District, Hulan District, Acheng District, Shuangcheng District County-level cities: Shangzhi City, Wuchang City Counties: Yilan County, Fangzheng County, Bin County, Bayan County, Mulan County, Tonghe County, Yanshou County

Get in

Airport Bus Line 1 - Airport 机场 - Kang'an Lu 康安路 - Tongda Jie 通达街 - Anfa Qiao 安发桥 - Harbin Railway Station 哈尔滨站 - CAAC Building 民航大厦

Airport Bus Line 2 - Airport 机场 - Haining Fur City 海宁皮草城 - Ling Gongli 零公里 - Chilun Lu 齿轮路 - Harbin West Railway Station 哈尔滨西站 - Fuzhuang Cheng 服装城 - Xuefu Binguan 学府宾馆 - Hexing Shangsha 和兴商厦 - Lesong Guangchang 乐松广场 - Guolu Chang1 锅炉厂1 - Haci Jituan1 哈慈集团1 - Tongxiang Shangdian1 通乡商店1 - Nongken Dasha 农垦大厦- Tianyang Binguan 天洋宾馆 - Huizhan Zhongxin 会展中心

1 Bus only stops during morning and evening peak hours.

Airport Bus Line 3 - Airport 机场 - Chengxiang Lu 城乡路 - Guxiang 顾乡 - Anhong Jie 安红街 - Zhongyang Dajie 中央大街 - Ba Qu 八区 - Daowai Long Distance Bus Station 道外客运站 - Jungong 军工 - Taiping Qiao 太平桥 - Harbing East Railway Station 哈尔滨东站

Airport Bus "Hazhan" Line - Airport 机场 - Harbin Railway Station 哈尔滨站

Being a major Chinese city, Harbin is well connected by train and is a convenient way to travel. The city is served by several train stations, so the station you arrive or depart from will depend on the train you take. Be sure to confirm which station your train calls at beforehand. The major railway stations in Harbin include:

There are also several minor train stations within the city. These stations serve regional and local trains and in most cases the typical traveller will not need to use them.

By car Harbin is connected to the rest of China via the China Highway 102 via Changchun. Harbin is also connected via road to Inner Mongolia, Russia, and Jilin.

By bus The main long-distance bus station (长途客运站 Changtu Keyun Zhan) is across the square from main train station.

The majority of cities in Heilongjiang can be reached via bus. Beijing — takes about 18 hours Mudanjiang — takes about 4 hours. Frequent departures. Qiqihar — takes about 5 hours Changchun — takes about 4 hours Jilin — takes about 6 hours Dalian — takes about 10 hrs Shenyang — takes about 8 hours Wudailanchi — takes about 6 hours Yanji — takes about 9 hours

From Russia Vladivostok — takes about 12 hr One daily departure which leaves early in the morning. Buy tickets in the Russian travel agency on the second floor of the bus station.

If you have all your papers sorted, the border crossing is straightforward. Guards on the Chinese side speak fluent English and might be curious of non-Russian/Chinese passports. You are required to take all your items with you when crossing the border, do not leave bags on the bus.

Get around

By taxi Taxis are inexpensive and convenient. There is also a charge levied based on the time the car is stationary (i.e. stuck in traffic), but this is usually only of significance in truly awful, gridlocked traffic conditions. If you wish to have a receipt, say to the driver (请发票 qǐng fā piào).

Taxi drivers in Harbin are known to be reckless—running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic, etc.—so buckle up!

Most taxi drivers do not speak any English or read Pinyin, and other European languages are far less widespread, so unless you speak fluent Mandarin Chinese showing them the Chinese characters for your destination is often the only option that will work.

By bus Still the backbone of Harbin's public transport system, at least until the Metro expands, the bus system covers pretty much every part of the city. For all its practicality for locals, for tourists it shares many of the same problems of other Chinese urban bus systems, foremost being that the system signage is completely in Chinese, although some buses do announce the next stop information in both Chinese and English. The buses vary in quality, although there does appear to be a program in place for updating buses route by route. Modern buses have heating systems (a godsend in winter!) and are both relatively nimble and accelerate rather quickly. Older buses on the other hand might remind some of agricultural vehicles, are usually unheated and may not even have proper seals on the windows. That said, it can still be a useful method of transport, especially when all the taxis seem to be taken. People who plan on staying in Harbin for a long period should at least be familiar with routes that take them to their residence, workplace, or college.

No tickets are issued. Be sure to be standing by the back door when you want to get off at the next stop or the driver may assume that no one is getting off and potentially skip the stop. If ice is covering your windows, blocking your view of the outside, a plastic bank card can be useful to scrape it off. Buses usually operate from 05:00-06:00 and the last service tends to set off at about 8PM, depending on route.

By subway The Harbin Metro 哈尔滨地铁 has three lines in operation: Line 1, which follows the river east-west, Line 2 which crosses it north-south, and Line 3 which forms a loop on the south side. In practical terms, the Harbin Metro has a similar feel to most Chinese subway systems, with bilingual signage throughout. English-speaking visitors should be able to navigate the system easily enough. The system is fully underground and uses specially made trains that can operate in temperatures approaching -38 °C. The stations are also decorated in a European style, to reflect Harbin's Russian history.

First departures are at 06:00 with the last train leaving its origin at 21:00. The Harbin Jiaotong IC card can be used, however no discount is offered and because cards are scanned when exiting the subway, each passenger must use their own IC card. Ticket machines are at all stations and can be used in both Chinese and English.

Operational lines are: Line 1 This line connects Harbin East railway station with Harbin South railway station via Dongdazhi Jie 东大直街 and Xidazhi Jie 西大直街, both major roads. Line 2 This line connects the north of the river, islands in the middle, and south together. Stops at Harbin station, Zhongyang Dajie, can change onto line 1 at the provincial museum. Line 3 A circle line, this line connects to Line 1's Yidaeryuan 医大二院 Station. Most useful for getting to Harbin West railway station 哈尔滨西站.

By ferry In summer, several ferries operate along the Songhua River, mainly travelling between the north and south banks of the river. A nicer, more scenic way of getting to some destinations such as Sun Island than the standard bus or taxi. Tickets are sold at the dock. All information is in Chinese.

See

Russian Buildings. Harbin's old quarter, which covers a wide area of the city near the Songhua River, is still today mostly made up of buildings that were constructed by the Russians at the turn of the 19th century. Most of them are built in baroque or byzantine style with spires and cupolas and interesting shades of yellow, white, green, or red. While St. Sophia is known as the main architectural attraction to the city, areas of the city such as Harbin's old quarter are made up of buildings that have been left untouched since the Russians left. While most of these streets are fairly decrepit and in need of repair, at least the area has been free from the wrecking ball like many other historical districts in China. Only because Harbin has yet to attract the world's investment.

Zhongyang Dajie. This cobblestone lined street is a pedestrian only street that could serve as a perfect remnant of the bustling international business activities at the turn of the 20th century. The 1.4-km long street is a veritable museum of European architectural styles, including Baroque and Byzantine façades, Jewish architectural wonders, a Russian restaurant, French fashion houses (Fake Chinese Brands), American snack food outlets (Mcdonalds and KFC and a Chinese owned "American Bar"), and a Japanese restaurant. In winter, one can walk out onto the ice or take a dog sledge or horse sledge ride. It is the prettiest site in Harbin as far as the city itself is concerned, however, if you go mid-day during the weekend be prepared to push through the crowds.

Old Quarter. A section of the city just west of Zhongyang Dajie is still dominated by Russian buildings built around the turn of the century. Not well maintained but an interesting walk and you can maybe find Russian antiques in some of the thrift stores.

Harbin Ice and Snow World. A magical kingdom built with 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow. Highlights include the 500-meter super ice slide, the Snowflake Ferris Wheel, and the Asian同心 Main Tower. Lights turn on around 16:00-16:30, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Songhua River Railway Bridge. Built in 1900, this was the first bridge across the Songhua River in Harbin and served the railway system for over 100 years. In 2016, with the opening of a new bridge nearby, it was converted into a pedestrian bridge. It offers excellent views of the river and the city skyline.

St. Sophia Cathedral. One of the few still standing Orthodox churches in the city. It is now converted into a Harbin Museum of Architecture. Inside there are exhibitions of many photographs from old times. Definitely worth going into, however, if you are used to European Churches do not expect the quality.

Harbin Jewish New Synagogue. Has been restored and contains an impressive collection detailing the history of Jews in Harbin. There were 20,000 at one point and the synagogue is well worth a visit. Further up Tong Jiang Jie is the old synagogue that is now a youth hostel and cafe, with the old Jewish school next door -both worth a detour to look at from the outside.

Temple of Heavenly Bliss. Large and active Buddhist temple.

Harbin Confucius Temple. This Confucius temple is one of the largest of its kind in northeast China. The Heilongjiang Museum of Nationalities can be found inside the temple.

Laodaowai. Laodaowai used to be the poorest part in Harbin. A century ago there were only two districts in Harbin, east (Daoli, "Dao" means Avenue, and "Li" means inside.) and west (Daowai, "wai" means outside). The rich expats lived in the east part, and the poor locals lived in the west part. In the early 1920s, some Chinese businessmen started their business in the area. The constructions they built around that period were combined with Chinese elements, such as crane and peony designs, and baroque styles, and form a unique "Chinese Baroque" architectural style. In 2014, the government renewed the area and now it is a tourist site.Nowadays, Laodaowai ("lao" means old.) is an area for one to experience "local's" lives (that means the unique architectural style, and food, food, food, food, and food). The area is vaguely defined within Shengping St 升平街 (north), Jingyang St 景阳街 (west), Nanxun St 南勋街 (south), and Nanershi St 南二十街道 (east). If you are confused for where to start with, at Jingyang St, in between Nanxun St and Jingyu St 靖宇街, there is a later-made entrance for the LaoDaoWai area. Start from there and walk to the east, and you will see all the small streets cross one another. There are many doors (locals call them "MenDong" 门洞), which from the first sight might look like private property, in between small stores. Walk through the doors and you will reach the garden inside and the next street.There are countless snack bars and restaurants in the area, and they are a main attraction. Keep in mind the snack bars are by Chinese definition, and many are small with few tables. They are the taste of Harbin and very popular. But in case you expect western styles (air condition, waitors speak/menu in your native languages, etc.), do not bother to go. Also if you are one of those count calories for every bite, do not go either, since watching others eating while you cannot eat is unhealthy. Some of the popular nosheries are (from west to east):Zhang's Stuffed Bun 张包铺 at the cross of Nanxun St and Naner St 南二街. Most popular dishes are rib buns 排骨包, tofu bun 豆腐包. At its busy time expect to share table with others.Li's Grilled Meat 李家扒肉馆 at No.25 BeiDaLiuDao St 北大六道街 is for meat lover. Feel how the pork melts inside your mouth.Nanbashun 南八顺 at Nanba St 南八街. Similar with hot pot. At Nanba St there is also a good pancake store. You can schedule your next on diet period after the visit.LaoRenYi Restaurant 清真老仁义饭店 with several branches is an old and popular halal restaurant. Must try includes steamed dumplings.At Shiliudao St 十六道街 there is an old market, with BBQ insects.

Huining Fu. A few kilometres south of Acheng centre, you'll find the ruins of, the capital of the 12th century Jin dynasty. It's been declared a national historic reserve, and apart from the ruined city walls there's a museum on the site as well.

Siberian Tiger Park. This is without a doubt Harbin's "must see". Not for the faint hearted or obsessive animal lovers. There are literally hundreds of tigers in several huge pens. If you want to go by bus instead of taking a taxi, take the 88 line (facing the train station, walk into the small street on your left for 300 m before seeing the bus stop) to Shangye Daxue 商业大学. It should take about 30 minutes, and it is the third stop after the long stretch of highway crossing the river. Then, take the 54 bus towards the same direction, and you will see the entrance to the Tiger Park on your right after 5 minutes or so.

Riverbank Park. Long tree covered walkway that stretches the city-side banks of the Songhua river, a really nice and pleasant walk.

Sun Island. Park offering a pleasant to stroll during the warmer months and on the weekends newly married couples can be seen taking pictures. In the winter it becomes part of the snow sculpture festivities. However, as with everything in Harbin, the park is still very Chinese with a cage full of squirrels, a petting deer area (just have to buy them some food), go carts, a pond that is just full of turtles, and newly weds sporting bright colored dresses.

Zhaolin Park. During the winter this park houses ice sculptures for the festivals, but during the off season, it is a pleasant stroll as well.

Grape Kingdom. A live operating "organic farm" that has expansive grape and corn fields. In the fall you can enter the fields and pick as many fresh grapes as you want and watch how the Chinese process corn.

Flood Control Monument. Built in 1958 to commemorate the successful defense against the 1957 Songhua River flood. The 22.5-meter-tall tower features a circular platform with relief sculptures. It marks the northern end of Central Avenue and is a popular spot for riverside views.

Unit 731 Museum. A museum at the site of a former bio-chemical weapons research and testing facility built by the Japanese army during World War II and used to perform experiments on over 10,000 civilians and POWs. The museum tells the story of these individuals. The displays are very extensive with detailed information in both Chinese and English, though you may struggle to see everything due to the very large number of people that typically visit the museum. After looking around the museum, you may then visit the actual buildings where Unit 731 carried out its notorious research, including the main administration building and the burnt-out remains of the prison facilities.

Heilongjiang Provincial Museum. A comprehensive museum housing Heilongjiang's history, nature, and art collections. Permanent exhibitions include "Heilongjiang Historical Relics," "Natural History," and the "Harbin Past — Early 20th Century Social Life" exhibition, which recreates scenes of the city a century ago. Built in 1922, the museum is a landmark of Harbin.

The Liao & Jin History Museum of Heilongjiang. As the name indicates, this museum focuses on the history of the Liao and Jin dynasties. It is said to contain over 10,000 artefacts.

Heilongjiang Art Museum. A provincial art museum founded in 1962, housed in a three-story European-style building from the 19th century. Its collection focuses on modern and contemporary Chinese art, especially woodblock prints from the Beidahuang and Heilongjiang schools. The museum also holds a significant collection of Russian oil paintings.

Heilongjiang Science and Technology Museum.

Northeast China Revolutionary Martyrs’ Memorial Hall. During the Japanese occupation, this building was used as the Harbin police headquarters of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. It played a pivotal role in the suppression of all those opposed to Japanese rule. A number of prominent Chinese patriots were imprisoned and tortured here. In 1946, about one year after the Japanese surrender, Harbin came under the control of the Communist Party of China, and the Party decided to turn this place into a martyrs’ memorial. The memorial opened in 1948. Today it has exhibitions on 162 individuals who died fighting the Japanese and 118 individuals who died during the Chinese Civil War.

Dragon TV Tower. Tallest steel structure in northeastern Asia. Only built for the Chinese need of having something as the biggest and the best. Somewhere along the way they forgot to add any pleasant looking qualities to it. There is a revolving restaurant on top and views of the city. You can walk outside at the top and even strap on a harness for a thrill.

Gondola ride over Songhua River. A nice way to work your way back from Sun Island in a gondola car that takes you over the banks of the Songhua.

Songhua River Bridge. Built in 1900, this bridge was the first bridge across the Songhua river in Harbin and has served the railway system for more than 100 years. In 2016, with the opening of a new bridge nearby, it was converted into a pedestrian bridge for visitors.

Do

International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival By far Harbin's biggest claim to fame, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (哈尔滨国际冰雪节 Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié) is held every year, running from early January until warm weather erodes the constructions (exact dates vary). Throughout the city you will find small ice and snow sculptures during the festival, however there are three major sites with large ice and snow sculptures on display.

The major sites for the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival include:

Ice and Snow World. Large buildings and sculptures made of ice. Best viewed after sunset. This festival is one of the main reasons people come to Harbin in winter.

Ice Festival, Zhaolin Park. Rather small exhibits compared to the other two main festivals. Best viewed after dusk.

Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Fair. Beautifully carved snow sculptures, massive dimensions. However, if you plan to visit the Ice and Snow World then this is not a must see. Pretty expensive for what you get to see and all other activities in the park are extra.

Harbin Summer Music Festival. Held every two years in July (next will be in 2018), this festival is organized by the city and brings in famous Chinese bands for free concerts held in the city square.

Harbin International Beer Festival. The city takes a break and honors the local "Harbin Beer" for a week. A whole public square is cordoned off and there are stages that host music concerts and dance contests. Most of the beer drunk is the local Harbin brew, but there is a tent for international beers. In the summer of 2005 a number of the foreigners in the city assembled a "drinking team" and ended up getting into a drunken brawl with some locals and got hauled away by the police.

Sauna/bath houses. Literally all over the city. Many local people do not shower in their own apartments but use these public shower houses instead. There are upscale, midrange, and low end places. Check with a 5-star hotel to get the most up to date facility for the type you prefer. Shanghai Tan (上海摊 Shànghǎitān) and Jiannianhua (嘉年华 Jiāniánhuá) are two of Harbin's longest established sauna/bath houses, but nowadays their facilities are entirely neglected as new entrants divert customers.

Yangge Traditional Chinese Dance. You will notice that during the warmer months (and even sometimes in the winter) there will be legions of senior citizens out on the street doing a group dance complete with drumming and costumes. This is called niu yang ge and if you are adventurous just jump in and dance along!

Bowling. Very popular among the Chinese in Harbin. Most of the larger hotels have a bowling alley. There is also a bowling club behind the Sino Way hotel with 2 floors and pool tables.

Swimming. Believe it or not, people swim in the Songhua during the winter, but after all the pollution spills, it's probably not even safe to swim during the summer. If you are looking for a clean pool to swim in, try the pool at the Shangri-La Hotel or Heilongjiang University.

Haerbin Grecism International Health Club. One of Harbin's nicest health clubs that includes a full pool, American workout equipment, sauna and hot tub, indoor track and cafe.

Fitness Ark Health Club. This is a great and cheap health club. Foreign students and teachers hang out here.

Work

For foreigners, pretty much the only employment is teaching English. There are positions at public and private schools. If you are in the city and don't already have employment, check out the bulletin board at Hamama's Kofi House.

Learn

Harbin is the center for higher education in Northeast China, and has several leading universities, with the most famous being Harbin Institute of Technology. The universities make up a large portion of the cities economy and employ a large part of the population. Many of these schools were founded by the Russians and still retain the architectural charm of their predecessors. There are also several medical universities in the city that support the local hospitals.

Harbin is famous for its standard Mandarin pronunciation. It's a very good place to study Mandarin. As the saying goes, 'If you want to study Chinese language, come to China. If you want to study Mandarin, come to Beijing. If you want to study standard Mandarin, come to Harbin.' It can be a cheap alternative to Beijing for studying Mandarin, with tuition costing about half and housing one third of what it would be in Beijing or Shanghai. Most universities have lots of Korean and Russian students. There are a couple of cheap Western cafes and a small but lively foreign student social scene at the local expat hangouts on the weekends, such as Blues. Many schools in Harbin offer Chinese language programs:

Harbin Institute of Technology. About 300 foreign Mandarin Chinese students a semester. Good facilities, although the teaching methods employed in the non-CET courses are considered outdated by many of the foreign students and most of the professors are not actual full-time professors. Large Russian and Korean population. Due to U.S. sanctions on China, those who studied here are not eligible for student visas for further studies in the United States.

Harbin University of Science and Technology.

Heilongjiang University. Claims to be the biggest Chinese learning center in the province.

Northeast Agricultural University. Dairy and food research center.

Also, the city offers the opportunity to study Mandarin Chinese one to one:

The Harbin Mandarin School encourages a complete immersion in the study of Mandarin, thereby imparting a unique understanding of the need for fluency and nature of a subject while building skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Studying TESOL Will-Excel TESOL Institute offers a TESOL Diploma program which combines a 160-hour classroom TESOL course in Harbin with a 6-12 month paid teaching-term in Harbin or another city.

Studying other subjects If your Mandarin is good enough you can enroll in most of the schools in Harbin. Many Pakistani students study Medicine at the Heilongjiang Medical University. Tuition is cheap.

Buy

Imported Russian goods of all types and qualities are available from tourist shops around town. Look out for vodka, Russian dolls, and chocolate. The local Chinese appeared to have picked up some aspects of Russian cuisine, with western style bread and sausage available around town. Beyond this, the shopping is much like any other city in China.

Churin. Founded in 1900 as part of a Russian department store chain, Churin is an icon of Harbin. The company’s main branch on Dongdazhi Street is now a cross between a traditional department store and a modern shopping center, that is to say there is a mixture of shops owned by Churin and shops owned by other companies. The underground floor sells the most famous red sausage and lieba (列吧, the big Russian bread). Also do remember to try the non-alcoholic drink brewed from lieba, Da Lieba Gewasi (大列巴格瓦斯). If you’re interested in Churin’s history, you should head to the staircase in the middle of the building where some old photos are displayed on the walls. If you climb to the top floor, you can also view a small collection of antiques acquired by the company over the years.

Zhongyang Dajie The main shopping district is along Zhongyang Dajie where there is a Wal-Mart near the flood control monument and another shopping district along Guogeli Jie where you can find clothing, food and more. Along this street are huge new shopping malls such as the Euro Plaza, Parksons, and Lane Crawford that carry international brands and are expensive. There are Nike stores, KFC and interesting Russian thrift stores. The street is lined with beer gardens during the summer.

However in winter, the shops closed quite early due to bitter cold.

Guogeli Dajie (果戈里大街). Harbin's second biggest shopping district after Zhongyang Dajie (bigger in size). The area around here is dotted with Russian buildings and HUGE shopping complexes. At night there are numerous night markets, a small scale Russian church where people dance, and a small and lively "bar lake." Indian Street (印度一条街). A commercial side street right off Guogeli Dajie. If you're facing the East, it's past the giant castle and on your right. Used to be complete with Indian thrift stores, clothing, and food, but now offers only Russian items, including dolls, pocketknives and toys. But don't expect any Indian restaurants as there aren't any yet.

Money Most ATMs around the city work with international cards, such as the Bank of China and the China Merchants Bank.

Western Union. 西联汇款 xilian huikuan in Chinese

Bank of China Heilongjiang Branch. This is the only bank in the city where you can exchange Travelers Checks.

The Hongbo Shichang, at the intersection of Dong Dazhi Jie and Hongjun Jie, is an enormous underground shopping center—if they don't have it, you don't need it. Harbin Sex Store/Museum on Guogeli Dajie sells all sorts of sex materials and toys. Kind of unexpected for conservative China. Pirate DVDs A large DVD store occupies a corner in the basement of the Jiaohua Electronics Market (教化电子市场). Opposite from the Harbin Institute of Technology's main gate (哈工大正门对面) and across the street from Buy Now Hui. Be sure and buy the DVDs sold in the main store, and not at the numerous small kiosks that take up the rest of the basement.

Sofia Jintaiyang Fashion City. This shopping centre is Harbin's answer to Beijing's Xidan. Multi story fashion market lined with small stalls selling the hottest fashions from China at cheap prices.

Hongbo Century Square. Not to be confused with the underground market, this is a huge mall in the basement of the Harbin exhibition center. There is also a fried chicken chain from Texas. There are daily fashion model shows.

Chinese Military Surplus Clothing Looking for a comfy cold weather jacket like the Chinese wear? There are a number of stores around the city. One is towards the end of Xidazhi Jie near the Harbin Institute of Technology. Western Brands The shopping malls at Hongbo and Zhongyang Dajie have everything from Gucci, Brooks Brothers, and Zegna to Timberland and Adidas. Items are internationally priced.

Everyday needs Carrefour. There are several other Carrefours in the city.

Watsons. This small convenient store has every health care product you can think of including western deodorants and shampoo. If you're in the city just for a few days and you need something quick it's fine, but if you plan to stay in Harbin longer, find yourself a Chinese convenient store. Watsons has a lot of European and American Brands but also the multiple of the prices the same things have in the west. And you still may want to avoid Chinese bleaching creme for your face (especially if you have sensitive skin) and that you can do in a Chinese convenient store, too.

Metro German Supermarket. German owned walmart type supermarket with the city's biggest selection of western food, a huge selection of imported wine, alcohol and beer, cheese, pastas and ice cream. It's all there, including the steep prices!

Scholars Bookstore. Harbin's largest bookstore is near Heilongjiang University on Xuefu Lu (学府路).

Flower, Bird and Fish Market. Huge assortment of fresh plants, birds and tropical fish.

Eat

If there is one thing special about Harbin, it has to be the food. Taking influences from Russia, Mongolia, Korea and of course China, the food in Harbin is much "heartier" than you can find anywhere in China, and stews and other duncai are popular dishes. Because the winters are long here you'll find fewer exotic ingredients and heavy use of vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, cucumber and corn. Chinese BBQ or shaokao and Hot Pot is also equally popular in Harbin and is a must eat once you get into town.

One thing you will notice is that Dongbei people love to eat, and it's not just for the food, but for getting all their friends together at one table and drinking/eating the night away. Thus this city is dominated by restaurants with large tables that seat groups of people. Besides small food stalls, only near the Universities and busy shopping areas will you find cozy little restaurants. In Harbin, liveliness (renao) attracts customers as much as the food; some restaurants are so loud you may need earplugs!

Harbin is also known among the Chinese for its Russian food, though it is often significantly localised and may not be the same as what Russian visitors would be used to back home.

Modern Ice Lolly. One of the icon of the city. Visit Harbin without Modern Ice Lolly is like going to Beijing without seeing the Great Wall. While everywhere in Harbin sale Modern Ice Lolly, only the hundred-year shop in Zhongyang St is the real one. Hardly can one find a place with everyone in all age group on the street hold an ice lolly, and it is worth to go and have a look even if you are not a sweet tooth. The shop has no advertisement and the ice lolly has no packing, and it can be sold 10,000 per day, all year around. Do remember to try it in winter when it is -30 °C! Everyone's favourite!

Hotpot and Harbin beer. Can be found anywhere in Harbin.

Assorted Meats on a Stick. Sold on every street, try asking for grilled bread buns (考馒头; Kǎomántou), it's really good. Finish everything off with an egg and tomato Gada Tang (soup).

Harbin Smoked Sausage. A treat only known to Harbin, you see stores selling it everywhere, it is REALLY good.

Russian Breads. Lots of Bread and pastry stores around the city, including Zhongyang Dajie.

Haws. Hawthorn fruit stacked on sticks and served covered with a sweet sauce. You tend to find other fruits available also.

Lamb. Lamb with spices grilled over coals served with sesame flat bread from the nice Uighur guys (from Xinjiang province) on a street between Hong Bo Shopping Center and Guogeli Dajie.

Harbin Spring Rolls. A tasty wrap of potato strips, cucumber, sausage and egg all with a spicy sauce. Sold on the street or in most markets (even Walmart). If you want a real spring roll experience go to Lao Changs on Zhongyang Dajie (mentioned below).

Old Sandpot House. Delicious small Dongbei snacks like dumplings, grilled breads.

Little Seven Fish. Spicy grill Sichuan style.

Hamama's Kofi House. A little Cafe near Harbin Institute of Technology run by a Papua New Guinean and his Taiwanese wife. Western food like burgers, milkshakes and an omelet breakfast. Good strawberry and banana smoothies and carrot cake but some of the other items on the menu a bit variable. Coffee is fairly good too.

Xiang E Meishi. Great Hunan and Hubei style restaurant in a nice atmosphere.

Hans Beer BBQ. Great draft beer that is all you can drink during lunchtime. The food is Chinese BBQ with assorted and spiced meat kabobs. A chain restaurant that is available in any large city in China.

Big Harvest. Traditional Donbgei cuisine in a unique environment. The only tea in the house is made from wheat.

Fucheng Hotpot. Great Hotpot restaurant always bustling with Dongbei atmosphere.

Old Changs Spring Cakes. Pancake like food stuffed with vegetables and meat, a staple of the northeast and tasty as hell! You'll order plates with the fillings, such as meat, potato stripes, soy sprouts, ... and stuff the pancakes with them. Due to high popularity, Old Changs opened a few other branches in the vicinity. If this one is too crowded (expect more than 50 people to be waiting for a table during lunch time), try the branch at Xi 13 Daojie (西十三道街68号) a few hundred meters south.

Homestyle Hotpot. Great hotpot, especially their beef and potato. Heat source is piped in from the ceiling straight to the pot, none of the wimpy table-cooker stuff. They have a great spicy broth, and there is tableside sauce mixing available.

Wuji Rib House. Dongbei style ribs that are simply amazing! You eat them with your hands and are given plastic gloves to keep things clean. The other dishes are great too and it's always packed and full of energy.

Daquan BBQ. The locals call this the best BBQ joint in town. Always packed, really good. When you go there, ask for the (Honey Plum Meat) Mizhimeirou

Xiaozi Zai Xianxin HK Cafe. Harbin's trendiest restaurant in terms of design and the people who go there. Fairly good HK style food.

Qianlima Baihe Liaoli. Affordable Korean food in an upscale environment, packed with Chinese families and businessmen out on the town for a dinner.

Gaoliyuan. A chain found all over Harbin that is consistently good.

Marhaba Arabian. This is a great mom and pop sized restaurant which has some low and medium priced dishes. If you don't know Arabian food, the dishes are similar to many Indian and Lebanese dishes. They also have hookahs/shisha with flavored tobacco if desired.

Cafe Russia. The owner is half Chinese, half Russian, and has created a fantastic atmosphere that feels like a high-class cafe in London or Paris. Elegant furniture, tasteful music, a working grandfather clock (with chimes) and a display to commemorate one of the last White Russians who lived in Harbin make this a place well worth visiting. Service is good too. The name in Chinese is 'Luxiya' i.e. Lucia → 'Rossiya' (Russia).

Pizza Hut. Standard pizza hut faire. Another Pizza Hut is on Guogeli Dajie.

Shangri-la Hotel Buffet. Upscale hotel dining with a huge assortment of western foods. Managed by a western head chef. The quality of this buffet is reasonable. Look out for the live silk worms in the chef station.

Portman's. Mentioned in almost all of the guidebooks but its really nothing more than a Chinese version of western food. You are better off going to Hamama's or a Russian cafe. However they do have steak, fillet mignon, and goose liver pate, if you want to spend the money.

Japanese Teppanyaki. Japanese BBQ where you are seated in private rooms and real Japanese cook your food right in front of you!

Upscale Sushi and Tempura. Another but less expensive Japanese restaurant. Full menu of sushi, tempura, Japanese curry etc. can be had here. Seating is in cozy bamboo paper rooms with heated seats! Atmosphere is very good.

Thai Restaurant. Thai dishes cooked by Indian chefs. You can buy alligator meat here and listen to a singing Thai dance troupe.

New Heaven Food City. Extravagant. Maybe a place to close out a business deal.

Tiantian Fish Village. Upscale Chinese seafood dining. You can mingle with Harbin's moneyed and enjoy exotic fish. When you walk in you can pick which fish you want from the giant tanks.

Drink

Just because Harbin is below freezing a good amount of the year, doesn't mean it's devoid of nightlife. In fact, Harbin is one of the "rowdier" cities in China. Just don't expect Shanghai or even Beijing "quality" establishments. Most places in Harbin have puke stains on the toilets that are months old. With a good number of foreigners living in the city studying and working, the weekends are always bustling around 2-3 locations such as Blues, The Box, Pacers, or the small bars around the Universities. Dongbei people are reqing (热情) or very lively and seem to drink with almost every meal! Oftentimes at restaurants you'll see drunk men singing away and then lighting up their cigarettes to signal the night is coming to an end. And of course what would be better than to spend the wee hours of the night singing away to the tune of Titanic and Michael Jackson at one of the KTV's that can be found at almost every street corner!

After a long dinner it's common to go to one of Harbin's clubs or bars to spend the rest of the night. If you are not a fan of the drinking scene, Harbin may not be for you as there isn't much else to do. That being said, there are dozens of small bars and a few cafes, so if you are not one for dancing and loud discos there are plenty of options. Some non-drinking activities include bowling, pool, or visiting a tea house.

Clubs Many discos that cater mainly to Chinese have table minimums. That is, each table has a different minimum purchase to sit there and you must purchase at least that much as soon as you sit down. They won't trust that you will eventually purchase enough over the course of the evening. You can try to get around this sales tactic by saying you want to just have a look around (wo yao xian kan kan) and hope that they forget about you.

Blue's. Dirty, crowded, and dangerous. Everything that is Harbin, Russians, Mongolians, Turks, Canadians, Brazilians, Koreans. Frequent staging ground for fights between Koreans and Mongolians or Russians fighting with Russians. The staff has also been known to get involved in fights or start them. Friday nights 22:30 and afterward get really crazy when about 80% of Harbin's foreign newcomers head out to Blue's to party. During the week it is full of Chinese.

Bars Most bars in the city are clustered around the universities and tourist districts. The Development Zone has some bars as well but they are more expensive.

The campus of Harbin Institute of Technology (复华小区) is surrounded with a number of small and cozy bars. HIT itself has a number of foreign teachers and hundreds of foreign students. Some notable bars here are:

Sky Bar/Cafe: A new bar back on the scene after closing down a couple of years ago. A cosy little pub in an old Russian-style building. Widest range of imported beers in town. Amazing fish and chips, burgers and other pub food. Staff are fluent in English and good to sit around and chat too. Big screen TV for live sports....just ask them and they will put it on for you. They have Trivia every Thursday and Texas Hold'em on Tuesdays. The best place to hang and meet others in "The Bin." 南岗区砖街13号（曲线街砖街交口附近）。

At the middle portion of Guogeli Dajie (果戈里大街) near Children's Park (儿童公园) there is a small man made lake that is surrounded by 10 or so small pubs and a fountain. During the warmer months this small square is packed with people out for a night stroll and is really lively. This also seems to be a place for the trendy teens and college age kids to hang out. If you continue walking down Guogeli Dajie there are a few more small bars dotting the street. Great for people watching! At the other end of the lake there is a restaurant that resembles TGI Friday's, as besides the name being changed to DJ Friday's almost everything else has been copied. What makes this place really stand out from the real TGI Fridays are the scantily clad Russian dancers.

Near Heilongjiang University (黑龙江大学) on Xue Fu #4 street there are some restaurants and cafes, but no bars.

Teahouses and cafes There are a number of very nice teahouses in the New Development Zone (开发区). Most will rent you a room and will charge by the hour, plus whatever tea you decide to drink. Some of the teahouses are on Hengshan Lu (衡山路) such as 君如意茶楼， 雅泰茶楼.

Starbucks. Coffee house, here you can meet a lot of foreigners

Costa Coffee. Coffee House, unlike Starbucks it's not quite as packed with people and you can still meet a lot of foreigners here

Luyu Cafe. This is a good place to relax and escape the crowds or to warm up on a cold winter day. Situated in a historic Russian building right next to Zhongyang street, the warm atmosphere and nicely decorated surroundings, combined with a creative coffee blend from the friendly owner, will let you forget that you're in a city with a population of 10 million.

Live music There is a Jazz Bar on Guogeli Dajie that often has a piano/sax duo playing, and guitar/vocalists can be found at some of the smaller bars around HIT and Hei Da.

Sleep

Budget Almost every bath house in the city has a large room with 50-100 plush beds where you can spend up to 24 hours. You can also lock your belongings in a locker and use their shower facilities, most of them have an 'all you can eat' buffet as well. Look for signs that say 洗浴 and make sure its fairly big as the smaller ones will not provide these types of services. When you come in pack light as to not look suspicious. This is not recommended for inexperienced travelers and it is highly unlikely any of the service staff will speak English.

Harbin Institute of Technology Foreign Students Dorm 6. There are two foreign students dorms at HIT that may have overnight accommodation. Each room has its own bathroom/TV with good heating during the winter. Can be full during the holidays. Central location with good security. Refused accommodation to non-HIT students in October 2007. No English. Not likely to accommodate you, and you are best to exhaust other options before attempting.

Meijia (Beautiful Home) Apartment. In city centre, about 40 minutes by bus from Harbin Airport. It is cozy, clean and safe. The facilities include TV, air conditioner, fridge, 24 hour hot water, microwave oven, double beds, bedsheets, blankets, closet and with good heating in the winter.

Bremen Hotel. Western style hotel that must have been great when it was new.

Harbin Modern Hotel. Fantastic location, right in the middle of the pedestrian mall of Zhongyang Dajie. Very limited English but quite helpful staff, and the history of the hotel makes it an interesting place to stay. There are old artifacts in the lobby such as old movie projectors and silverware. Rooms are comfortable and range from standard to suites.

Sinoway Hotel (Twin Towers). Decent hotel with English-speaking staff right in Hongbo square

Friendship Hotel. Good location and decent rooms.

Holiday Inn. English-speaking staff.

Modern Hotel. Founded in 1906. The building is in Art Nouveau style. Chinese and Western restaurants.

Shangri-La Hotel. Look for discounts, available most of the year except for the ice festival.

Sofitel Harbin. Formerly Singapore Hotel (新加坡大酒店) and "Wanda Hotel", this is out in the new development zone. Comparably new facilities.

Victories Hotel. This hotel is billed as Harbin's 3rd 5-star hotel, but most likely it's 3-4 stars. Comparably cheap due to the location.