Hā'ěrbīn Shì (哈尔滨市, Harbin)
The area of present-day Hā'ěrbīn (Harbin) was settled as early as 2200 BC. Harbin itself was founded in 1898, when the Eastern Railway reached the area. By the 1920s, it became China's fashion capital, because the latest designs arrived there first. The city is known for its historical Russian legacy and architecture and European influence. It is also known as the 'Bīng Chéng' (冰城, Ice City), as the winters there are bitterly cold.
The best time of the year to visit the capital of China's Heilongjiang province is the month of January, when the fantastic Ice Lantern Festival is held there. During the festival, beautiful ice sculptures of legendary animals are chiseled and lit from the inside with colorful lights. The sculptures can be seen in Harbin's Zhaolin Park.
During the winter skiing can be practised not far from town, at Qingyun and Yablui, which hosted the 1996 Asian Winter Games. There is also an indoor skiing slope inside the Wanda Harbin Mall, so even in Summer it's possible to ski.
The rest of the year the area of Daoliqu, near Zhongyang Dajie, is the city's most lively place. There are nice markets in Harbin and the city has a strong Russian architectural flavor.
- The Lao Daowai (Old Town) with its central street and the Baroque compositional complex.
- Central Street was one of the first streets in Harbin, when the city was founded in 1898. It became the main business street at the start of the 20th century. The buildings that line the street have an international style and feature Baroque and Byzantine façades. There are small Russian bakeries, as well as French fashion houses and Japanese restaurants.
- The Byzantine Saint Sophia Cathedral used to be a Russian Orthodox church. It was inaugurated in 1907 and expanded twice; in 1923 and in 1932. The church is 53.35 m (175 ft) tall. It was later closed as a result of the Cultural Revolution. In 1997 the church was turned into a museum. It has exhibits on the history of Harbin
- The Ji Le Temple (Temple of Bliss) is a Buddhist temple. It was built in 1921 to counteract the presumed bad influence of the many Orthodox churches in harbin at the time.
- There used to be some 20 Orthodox churches in Harbin, but as a result of the Cultural Revolution, the ethnic Russian population declined and most of the churches were abandoned. Nowadays, only 10 churches remain and the only one where services are still held is the Church of the Intercession.
- The Big Stone House is the nickname for the building of the Harbin Railway Administration. It was built in 1902, but almost immediately destroyed twice and rebuilt in 1904 and in 1906.
- Harbin Music Park is located in Youyi West Road.
- Harbin Railway Station North Terminal.
- Harbin West Railway Station.
- The main building of Harbin Institute of Technology was built in Stalinist style and features a 'tier-cake' façade.
- Long Ta (Dragon Tower) is a freestanding lattice TV tower. It is 336 m tall.
- The Harbin Grand Theatre is located in the cultural center of Songbei District. It is a modern building that can seat 1600 spectators in its largest arena. It was built to blend with Harbin's surrounding wetlands.
There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Harbin. The city is 1,040 km northeast of Beijing.
; "Image 1 - Harbin Grand Theatre ©Jeremy Thompson [51kB]")
; "Image 2 - Ice Sculptures ©Johan Bilien [119kB]")
; "Image 3 - Ice Sculptures ©Erica Li [79kB]")
; "Image 4 - Ice Sculptures ©Erica Li [97kB]")
; "Image 5 - Harbin ©Hiroyuki Kawai [190kB]")
; "Image 6 - Saint Sophia Cathedral ©Max Zhang [79kB]")
; "Image 7 - Saint Sophia Cathedral ©Max Zhang [95kB]")
; "Image 8 - Harbin ©Max Zhang [170kB]")
; "Image 9 - Ice Sculptures ©Lin Zhaohai [81kB]")
; "Image 10 - Harbin ©Hat Trick [98kB]")
; "Image 11 - Harbin by night ©Christopher Dominick Z. [90kB]")
; "Image 12 - A park on the outskirts of Harbin ©Hat Trick [59kB]")
; "Image 13 - Orthodox Church ©Hat Trick [50kB]")
; "Image 14 - Orthodox Church ©Hat Trick [120kB]")
; "Image 15 - Church ©Hat Trick [118kB]")
; "Image 16 - Harbin ©Hat Trick [136kB]")
; "Image 17 - Harbin Grand Theatre ©Yu S. [93kB]")
; "Image 18 - Ice Sculptures ©Nina Bruja [139kB]")
; "Image 19 - Ice Sculptures ©John Pannell
[105kB]")