In the winter Harbin comes alive – sculptures and buildings rise up out of the ice that grips the city. Snow, ice castles and a frozen river – it’s a glittering spectacle that’s well worth the risk of a little frostbite.
If you tell a Chinese person you’re going to Harbin, they’ll most likely shudder and encourage you to alter your plans: “Too cold,” they’ll say. Despite that, it’s not too cold for the three million people who live in this city perched up in far northeastern Heilongjiang Province. Tradition has it that China is shaped like a rooster, Heilongjiang being the head and Harbin the eye and the city retains important unique features and a peculiar charm that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
Harbin was just a tiny town in China’s northeast for hundreds of years – until at the end of the 19th century the Russians decided they wanted to build a railway from Moscow to Vladivostok. The railway was laid in 1896 when the Chinese government was forced to grant Russia a concession at Harbin, which quickly grew to dwarf the old Chinese town. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, thousands of White Russian refugees crossed the Black Dragon River, better known in the west as the Amur River. At one stage around 160,000 foreigners from 33 countries were living in the city and they set up well over 1,000 companies, including China’s first beer brewery in 1900. The city soon became known as the “Moscow of the East,” and at only seven days train journey from Paris was proud to know the latest fashions well before Shanghai or Hong Kong.
Much of the Russian architecture remains standing today and one of the prime attractions of the city is a walk along the Central Street (zhōngyāng dàjiē 中央大街). There are buildings of most European early twentieth-century styles along the length of this cobbled street, which remains today the most popular shopping area of the city. While McDonalds, KFC, and Western stores have redecorated most of the interiors, there are some buildings that have survived that kind of unfortunate modernization and still look and feel quite European.
Central Street is found in Daoli District, which was where the majority of the foreigners settled. It is now the center of the municipal government offices and the site of most of the best sightseeing opportunities in Harbin. Strolling around the area you will find a little Russian chocolate shop, Russian gift-stores, coffee shops and some of the most expensive restaurants in town.
To the east of the Central Street, surrounded on all sides by modern department stores, you will find the Church of St. Sophia (shèng suǒfēiyà jiàotáng 圣索菲亚教堂), a lovely Orthodox church that is Harbin’s most famous landmark. It was badly damaged during the Cultural Revolution but later restored to its original 1907 splendor. Inside there is a little photographic exhibition tracing some of Harbin’s history, but most people report being disappointed with what they get to see for their RMB 10. There are a number of other Orthodox churches you will find around the city center that are worth a few minute’s look, though none are as impressive as St. Sophia’s.
Walking along the river is entertaining any time of the year and whether you’re watching the locals paddle rented boats in summer or trying to remember how to ice-skate in the winter, there’s plenty to do to occupy a few hours. There’s the odd toboggan for hire if you’re feeling brave, a more sedate pursuit is to wait for the old woman with scissors to find you – for just RMB 1 or 2 she’ll cut a perfect profile of you in some colored paper. For those with antifreeze for blood, you can speak to local guides about finding a hole in the ice for swimming– but there are no saunas here to run into after your dip, so it is fairly likely you will catch severe hypothermia. In case you were thinking that it was a tradition, then be assured that the locals think the winter swimmers are all feng le– crazy.
Across the river, taking either the ferry or a taxi, you’ll find Sun Island Park (tàiyáng dǎo gōngyuán 太阳岛公园), which was once the retreat of choice for Harbin residents in the hot summer. A huge park with plenty of green to counteract the gray palette of the city’s apartment blocks, it’s pleasant to stroll around when sunny, though it really comes into its own when snow falls and the yearly sculpture exhibition moves in. This is the artistic high point of the winter season, with the snow sculptures (ice covered with compressed snow) being crafted by artists from around the world. From small figures to 30 feet wide panoramas, the artists try to out do each other year after year. There are also a number of “ice-games” you can play in the park, and for a few RMB you can hire sleds drawn by huskies.
If animals are indeed your thing, then you might want to take a look at the Siberian Tiger Park (dōngběihǔ línyuán 东北虎林园). 15km further north than Sun Island Park, here you can find about three hundred Siberian tigers, lions and other big cats. There are only an estimated 700 Siberian tigers left in the wild, so Harbin’s park is an important breeding base, though rather unusual in that it allows visitors to purchase the food that’s thrown to the cats. You can buy a chicken, bits of beef or even a whole deer and in a circling and shaky bus, watch the tigers enjoy their meal. Critics argue that this practice associates tourists with feeding-time.
A very important but highly unpleasant site for the people of Harbin is the Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base 731 (rìběn xìjūn shíyàn jīdì 731 bùduì 日本细菌试验基地731部队). Harbin and the rest of northeast China made up part of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo after the Japanese invasion in 1931 and in 1939, Division 731 constructed a top-secret base to study germ warfare. Prisoners of war and anyone who had the misfortune of being captured were used as living subjects for horrific medical “experiments.” Over 40,000 people were tortured then killed in ways as savage and cruel as vivisection and roasting to death. Anger remains about Japan’s record during the Second World War and old chemical weapons continue to be dug up. Base 731 can be reached 20km south of Harbin and the small exhibition displays some of the implements used in the tortures. The base was only discovered in the 1980’s.
The Ice Lantern Festival (bīngdēng jié 冰灯节) is the fun highlight of the year in Harbin. Held in Zhaolin Park (zhàolín gōngyuán 兆麟公园) in Daoli district, teams of workers transport large chunks of ice taken from further north along the Songhua River (thanks to global warming, increasingly further) and carve it into shapes or whole buildings. Neon tubes are inserted inside the ice, and then the whole thing is lit up in luminescent blues, pinks, green and yellows. It’s like a frozen Disneyworld and they often build replicas of famous buildings from around the world: Big Ben; the Eiffel Tower; the Taj Mahal; and, of course, a stretch of the Great Wall. There are also a few vertiginously high ice slides you can slide down, an ice maze, and an ‘ice forest’, where the trees are covered with a spider’s web of icicles. It is all wonderfully surreal, and there are endless photos to take, if your camera does not freeze.
Making Your Trip Easy
Area Code: 0451
Practical Tips
Winters in Harbin are extremely cold, regularly going down to -30°C, but January to March are also the best times to visit the city. The Ski Festival is on December 26 and the International Ice Festival takes place annually on January 5. Remember to pack thermal underwear and as many layers of clothing as you can. Gloves, hats, scarves, shoe-insulators – are all widely available on the streets and you’ll need to wear them all. The good news is that buildings are well heated. Harbin is a little cooler than most other cities in China if you come during the summer, though it still reaches 30°C on hot days.
Transportation
Airport – The airport is approximately 30km outside of town. There are airport shuttle buses to the city, a taxi should cost about RMB 120, which includes a RMB 20 highway toll. The ride into town will take 30 to 45 minutes. The city has many domestic connections and some international flights to, amongst others, Seoul and Vladivostok.
Taxi – Most taxi rides around Harbin will cost about RMB 20. Motorcycle taxis charge around RMB 6 per trip. Full-size taxis are RMB 8 at flag-fall and compact taxis are RMB 7. The smaller taxis are slightly cheaper per kilometer.
The Best of Harbin
Church of St. Sophia 圣索菲亚教堂圣索菲亚教堂shèng suǒfēiyà jiàotáng
Address: Zhaolin Jie 兆麟街
Opening hours: 9:30am to 5:30pm
￥: 10 to enter the small exhibition inside
Siberian Tiger Park黑龙江东北虎林园hēilóngjiāng dōngběihǔ línyuán
Address: 88 Songbei Jie, Daowai District 道外区松北街88号
Phone: 8808 0098
Opening hours: 9am to 4pm during the winter; 8:30am to 6pm during the summer
￥: 50
Sun Island Park太阳岛公园 tàiyáng dǎo gōngyuán
Address: eastern end of Sun Island 太阳岛东区
Phone: 8819 1181
Opening hours: 8am to 9pm
￥: 50
Hotels
Shangri-La Hotel Harbin哈尔滨香格里拉大饭店 hā’ěrbīn xiānggélǐlā dàfàndiàn ★★★★★
Address: 555 Youyi Lu, Daoli District 道里区友谊路555号
Phone: 8485 8888, 8462 1333
￥: 580 – double room, peak-season; 880 – double room, off-season
Website: www.shangri-la.com
Singapore Hotel新加坡大酒店 xīnjiāpō dàjiǔdiàn ★★★★★
Address: 68 Ganshui Lu, Xiangfang District 香坊区赣水路68号
Phone: 8233 6888, 8233 1668
￥: 688 – double room, peak-season; 669 – double room, off-season
Website: www.harbinsingaporehtl.com
Press Plaza报业大厦 bàoyè dàshà ★★★★
Address: 399 Youyi Lu, Daoli District 道里区友谊路399号
Phone: 8489 0888, 8489 0757
￥: 470 – double room
Rongfu Conifer Hotel融府康年酒店 róngfǔ kāngnián jiǔdiàn ★★★★
Address: 88 Heqing Jie, Daoli District 道里区河清街88号
Phone: 8483 6888, 8483 1066
￥: 688 – double room, peak-season; 388 – double room, off-season
Modern Hotel马迭尔宾馆 mǎdié’ěr bīnguǎn ★★★
Address: 89 Zhongyang Dajie, Daoli District 道里区中央大街89号
Phone: 8461 5846, 8488 4099
￥: 580 – double room; 20% discount during the peak-season; 40% discount during the off-season
Website: www.modern.com.cn
Food & Restaurants
Harbin’s fare is suited to the people who live there: simple, solid and warming. There are plenty of meat-on-sticks (ròu chuànr 肉串) restaurants, as well as Mongolian lamb hotpot (huǒ guō火锅) from their northwestern neighbors. Dumplings (jiǎozi 饺子) are also hugely popular and there are a number of chains around the city serving them up with countless imaginative fillings. But unique to China, it’s the foreign cuisine that’s best sampled in Harbin. Russian and Russian influenced Western restaurants will lead you to the most surprising tastes. A side of European-style smoked pork sausages (ròulián hóngcháng 肉联红肠) washed down with Harbin Beer (hā’ěrbīn píjiǔ 哈尔滨啤酒 or hāpí 哈啤) or even some chilled vodka is a great way to fill up and keep warm. For beer enthusiasts, there’s qiulin damianbao (秋林大面包), a gigantic circular bread baked with a crispy crust. It uses beer yeast, which gives it a slight beer flavor. The number of lanterns outside restaurants indicates quality – the more the better. Blue lanterns indicate Muslim food.
RESTAURANTS
Huamei Xi Canting华梅西餐厅
Established in 1925, it’s the most famous Russian-influenced western restaurant in the city, its signature fish dish is kao naizhi guiyu (烤奶汁桂鱼).
Address: 112 Zhongyang Dajie 中央大街112号
Phone: 8461 9818
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm
Lao Duyichu老都一处
Established in 1929, specializes in dumplings, has over 26 kinds of fillings on offer.
Address: 25 Xi Shisandao Jie, Daoli District 道里区西十三道街25号
Phone: 8461 5895
Opening hours: 10am to 9pm
Lufu Lou鲁福楼
Specializes in Shandong dishes such as pork knuckle (jiàng zhūshǒu酱猪手) and fried sea-cucumber with green onions (cōngshāo hǎishēn葱烧海参).
Address: 248 Zhongshan Lu, Nangang District 南岗区中山路248号
Phone: 8262 3818
Opening hours: 9am to 11pm
Qingxiang Ke清香阁
An upscale Muslim restaurant specializing in lamb dishes.
Address: 8 Huapu Jie, Daoli District 道里区花圃街8号
Phone: 8456 3711
Opening hours: 10am to 11pm
Riyuetan Haixian日月潭海鲜
Specializes in seafood and Cantonese dishes.
Address: 300 Gongbin Lu, Xiangfang District 香坊区公滨路300号
Phone: 5511 3222
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm
Xiangcun Dayuan乡村大院酒店
Specializes in northern farm style dishes such as a fish-head dish called jinguo yutou (金锅鱼头) and spareribs called fengshou paigu (丰收排骨).
Address:13 Dashun Jie, Nangang District南岗区大顺街13号
Phone: 8234 0258
Opening hours: 9am to 12pm
Souvenirs
The best things to buy in Harbin are, not surprisingly, Russian in origin. From fur hats to Russian dolls, anything and everything that hails from the north can be found in stores throughout the city. Having dealt with Russian traders for years, the vendors in Harbin are a shrewd traders and expect to bargain – disregard all price tags except at the very up-market department stores. Harbin has a reputation in China for being a cheap city and it’s true that you can pick up some very good bargains on fans or calligraphy if you haggle. If you have a week or so in the city, you could go to the Silk Market near Heilongjiang University (hēilóngjiāng dàxué 黑龙江大学) and get a custom-made qipao (旗袍) for a third of the price they charge in Beijing. Otherwise, try the Russian stores on Central Street or go to the indoor Russian market near Hongbo Square (hóngbó guǎngchǎng 红博广场). The most expensive stores can be found around Hongbo Square and at the northern end of Central Street, but you’ll pay Western prices for things you could get much cheaper if you ventured into the markets. Perhaps the most appropriate souvenir you could bring home from Harbin would be one of the green ex-military overcoats that the locals all wear in winter – very good at keeping you warm. Rustic souvenirs made from straw and shells make great gifts. Look for these knick-knacks at the Zhongwai Minmao Market (zhōngwài mínmào shìchǎng 中外民贸市场, 5367 2347) on Jianshe Lu, many of the small stores along this street carry Russian items. The Guomao Cheng (国贸城) is an interesting shopping venue. Built in a former bomb-shelter, this huge complex houses many small shops and makes for good shopping (Dongdazhi Jie 东大直街 underground tunnel, 5365 7621).
Other Information
POST OFFICES
Daoli Post Office 道里邮局
Address: 48 Xi Shisidao Jie, Daoli District 道里区西十四道街48号
Phone: 8461 4464
Nangang Post Office 南岗邮局
Address: 51 Jianshe Jie 南岗区建设街51号
Phone: 5363 3137
HOSPITALS
Harbin Second Medical School Hospital 哈尔滨医科大学第二附属医院
Address: 148 Baojian Lu, Nangang District 南岗区保健路148号
Phone: 8666 2961
COMPLAINT HOTLINES
General: 8620 0315
Taxi: 8632 3900