About Harbin
What to see and do in Harbin
Weather in Harbin
Airport in Harbin
Visa
Harbin (pinyin: Haerbin; Wade-Giles: Ha-erh-pin) is a sub-provincial city and the capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. It lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Harbin is ranked as the tenth largest city in China, serving as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications center of Northeastern China.
Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets". Harbin bears the nicknames "The Pearl on the swan's neck" because the shape of Heilongjiang resembles a swan, and "Ice City" for its long and cold winter. This city is most famous for its beautiful display of ice sculptures in winter and is known as China's gateway to trade with Russia.In the 1920s, Harbin was considered to be the fashion capital of China as new designs from Paris and Moscow reached here first before arriving in Shanghai.
Harbin is China's northernmost major city, with a population in excess of 10 million, and over 4 million in the city center alone. Historically, the city has had a lot of Russian influence, in particular after the Russian Civil War of 1918, when White (Monarchist) refugees escaped the newly formed Soviet Union. The influence remains clearly visible in the building styles and foods. 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 eventually was captured by the Japanese during World War II and later captured by the Chinese in 1946. Once nothing more than a Russian-built outpost of the railway, Harbin has managed to become a major player in her own right as well as capital of Heilongjiang Province.
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 due to the fact that Harbin has yet to attract the world's investment.
Zhongyang Dajie. Literally meaning "central avenue". 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 facades, Jewish architectural wonders, a Russian resteraunt, French fashion houses (Fake Chinese Brands), American snack food outlets (Mcdonalds and KFC and a Chinese owned "American Bar"), and a Japanese restaurant. It runs from Jingwei Jie to Stalin Park at the river. 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. Pretty much closes by 10 p.m. (Weekend nights included)
Flood Control Monument. Built to commemorate the several floods of the Songhua River. It is at the riverside end of the Zhongyang Dajie.
Stalin Park, Runs parallel to the Songhua River. Long tree covered walkway that stretches the city-side banks of the Songhua river, a really nice and pleasant walk.
St. Sophia Cathedral located in Daoli District on the corner of Zhaolin Street and Toulong Street. 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 (RMB 25, 162 Jing Wei Jie) is well worth a visit. Further up Tong Jiang Jie is the old synagogue that is now a hotel and cafe, with the old Jewish school next door -both worth a detour to look at from the outside.
Unit 731 Museum. A grim reminder of what happened during the Japanese occupation to over 2,000 prisoners of war. The museum, located out in the suburbs, tells the story of these individuals although its displays are limited. It's about an hour long bus ride from the city center, but be warned: the museum closes at 4pm (last entry is at 3pm), is closed from 11am-1pm for lunch and the museum is completely closed on Mondays.
Siberian Tiger Preserve. This is without a doubt Harbin's "must see". Just a 40 kuai cab ride from the city center (Don't have them wait for you, you will always be able to find a ride home) Not for the faint hearted or obsessive animal lovers. There are literally hundreds of tigers in multiple huge pens. For just RMB 70 you can ride in an open bus with metal caging around it. The ride is about an hour long and while on the bus you can purchase strips of meat (RMB 10) to hand feed the tigers. Live chickens (RMB 40), pheasants (RMB 100), ducks (RMB 100), goats (RMB 600) and even cows (somewhere around 200 USD).
Zhaolin Park, Youyi Lu and Shangzhi Jie. During the winter this park houses ice sculptures for the festivals, but during the off season, it's a pleasant stroll as well.
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.
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.
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. Located near the Tiger Park.
Sun Island. Park located on the banks of the Songhua River and can be reached by ferry boat (RMB 5). 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 itself 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.
Gondola ride over Songhua River, access point is the Sun Island Park. A nice way to work your way back from Sun Island in a gondola car that takes you over the banks of the Songhua. RMB 35 - 50.
Temple of Heavenly Bliss Large and active Buddhist temple on Dongdazhi Jie, in the eastern part of the city.
Heilongjiang Provincial Museum, 50 Hong Jun Jie. Built in 1922 and claims to have over 14,000 pieces of relics, but it's not well kept.
Harbin International Snow and Ice Festivals. By far Harbin's biggest claim to fame, these month-long festivals are held yearly from January 5th until warm weather erodes the constructions (exact dates vary yearly).There are two distinct festivals on display in three separate locations: The Snow and Ice Festival and two versions of the Ice Lantern Festival. The former is famous for massive and beautifully carved sculptures of snow while the latter is famous for large ice buildings and statues constructed with lights inside that make them glow. The Snow Festival is located on Sun Island, across the river from the main city sites. The Ice Lantern Festival operates in a city park that is centrally located (Zhaolin Park) as well as at an out-lying assembly ground along the Songhua River (not far from Sun Island). Be forewarned that the Snow Festival closes before sunset so arrive early while the two Ice Lantern Festivals are best after dark so arrive just before dusk. There is a separate admission fee of RMB 100 - 150 for all three (students get in half-price).
Sauna/bath houses. Literally all over the city. Many local people don't shower in their own apartments but these public shower houses instead. There are several upscale ones around the city such as Shanghai Tan and Jiannianhua where you can relax in a sauna, get an hour long massage, eat at a all you can eat buffet and sleep for 24 hours in their comfy beds for around RMB 40 - 90.
Harbin International Beer Festival. Held in late August of every year the city takes a break and honors the cities most famous export "Harbin Beer" for a week. A whole public square is cordoned off and there are stages that host music concerts, 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 in a drunken brawl with some locals and got hauled away by the police.
Harbin Summer Music Festival. Held every two years in July (Next will be in 2008), this festival is organized by the city and brings in famous Chinese bands for free concerts held in the city square. In 2006 for the "year of Russia" were various Russian groups in attendance and a concert that featured over 1,000 pianists playing at once.
WB International Movie Theatre, Zhongyang Dajie Wal-mart. RMB 50 plus for tickets.
Skiing Yabuli is one of the largest skiing areas in China and venue for the 1996 Asian Winter Games. Located within 2 hours of the city.
Yangge Traditional Chinese Dance You'll 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 is very popular among the Chinese in Harbin. Most of the larger hotels have a bowling alley. There is also a bowling club located behind the Sino Way hotel with 2 separate floors and pool tables as well.
Swimming Believe it or not, people actually 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.
Golf. Yes Harbin has a golf course in the development zone, and is RMB 300 per round and RMB 20 to use the driving range. Obviously not open during the winter. Located directly behind the Heilongjiang TV Station, it's the giant glass building with a oversize red glass diamond.
Haerbin Grecism International Health Club. 95 Hayao Jie, one of Harbin's nicest health clubs that includes a full pool, American work out equipment, sauna and hot tub, indoor track and cafe. Membership is expensive.
Fitness Ark Health Club. 3rd floor of Hate Mall, 118 Xidazhi Jie, located right near HIT, this is a great and cheap health club. A number of foreign students and teachers hang out here.
Wudalian Chi. Volcanic lake surrounded by forests and small farming communities a train and bus ride away from Harbin. Take the train to Dedu and then a 2 hour bus ride to the lake.
Mudanjiang and surrounding areas. This is a short train ride from Harbin and within short bus rides you can reach Mirror Lake, the Underground Forests, and the Yabuli ski resort.
Zhalong National Nature Reserve. Huge bird preserve near the city of QiQihaer, can be reached by a short 5 hour train ride from Harbin.
Daqing. 2 hour train ride from Harbin, this city is home to China's largest oil fields.
Hulunbeier Grasslands, Inner Mongolia. Take the train to Hailaer and under 12 hours (overnight) you can find yourself on some of the world's biggest grasslands, stunningly beautiful. Summer is the best time to go.
Dalian. Dongbei's most modern and cleanest city, right on the coast. A great weekend getaway if you are in Harbin for an extended period of time and looking to catch some fresh seaside air.
The city can be visited at any time, especially from July to September and from December to January. With little rainfall, the temperature of Harbin in spring (March-May) is changeable from month to month. Summer, from June to August has plenty of rainfall, and as such Harbin is not as hot as the other cities of inland China.
The measurable highest temperature is just 22.3 C (72F) on average, which occurs in July. So, it is the best time for you to visit here and escape the hot summer. During the transition from summer to winter, autumn (September to October) in Harbin has little rainfall and a fluctuating temperature; it is also windy. Harbin in winter (November to February) is the coldest city of China, yet it is also one of the most attractive. The beautiful and startling snowy scenery will satisfy your desire with no doubt. Though it is cold, the winter of Harbin is also recommended.
January -14 C to -26 C
February -10 C to -23 C
March 1 C to -12 C
April 12 C to -1 C
May 20 C to 6 C
June 25 C to 13 C
July 27 C to 17 C
August 26 C to 15 C
September 20 C to 8 C
October 11 C to -1 C
November -1 C to -12 C
December -11 C to -22 C
Harbin Taiping International Airport (IATA: HRB, ICAO: ZYHB) is an international airport in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. Harbin Taiping Airport, formerly known as Yanjiagang Airport, is located about 33km (21 miles) away from the city of Harbin and was constructed in 1979 with further expansion between 1994 and 1997 at a cost of about RMB 960 million. In 1984 it was upgraded to an international airport status. Today it serves as an important transportation hub for northeastern China and is the largest northernmost airport of China. Its terminal building is also currently the largest in northeastern China.
It is capable of handling 6 million passengers annually and is currently connected with more than 50 air routes both domestic and international. Currently it has one 3200 metres asphalt runway.
Harbin Airport is big and divided into international and domestic terminals like Sydney airport.
Location: 33 kilometers (21 miles) northwest from Harbin City
Brief Intro: the airport is equipped under the 4E standards and capable of handling 6,000,000 passengers every year. More than 50 air routes connect it to over 40 Domestic and International cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Seoul and Los Angeles.
Facilities:
Duty-free Shops: The Restricted Area, the International Departures Hall (Level 2)
Shops of Local Products: The Domestic Departures Hall (Level 2)
Restaurants: Buffets of the authentic Dongbei (Northeast China) flavor are served on Level 3 while cafes can be found in both the Domestic Departures Hall and the International Departures Hall of Level 2.
Airport Lounges: The Departures Halls (Level 2)
Services:
Airport Hotline: 0451-82894220
Information Desk/Lost&Found: In the center of the Domestic Departures Hall
Airport Transportation:
Airport Shuttle: 0451-82894114
Airlines and other destinations of Harbin
Domestic
Air China (Beijing-Capital, Tianjin)
China Eastern Airlines (Jinan, Qingdao, Shanghai-Pudong)
China Southern Airlines (Beijing-Capital, Changsha, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Mohe County, Qingdao, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenyang)
China United Airlines (Beijing-Nanyuan)
Hainan Airlines (Beijing-Capital, Taiyuan)
Okay Airways (Tianjin)
Shandong Airlines (Heihe, Qingdao, Shenyang, Weihai, Yantai)
Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
Shenzhen Airlines (Changzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen)
Sichuan Airlines (Hohhot, Jinan, Nanjing)
Spring Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
Xiamen Airlines (Hangzhou, Nanjing)
International
Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon)
China Southern Airlines (Niigata, Seoul-Incheon, Vladivostok)
Sakhalinskie Aviatrassy (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)
Vladivostok Air (Khabarovsk, Vladivostok)
Yakutia (Yakutsk)
To be able to travel to Harbin you need to have a valid China Visa, issue from your local government at the China Embassy, Chinese visa fall into four types: diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa is further divided into the following 8 categories each marked with a letter: (1) Tourist and family visit visa (L-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for tourist purpose, family visit or other personal affairs.
(2) Business Visa (F-visa ) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of no more than 6 months.
(3) Student Visa (X-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for the purpose of study or advanced study for a period of six or more months.
(4) Work Visa (Z-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China to work and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances in China.
(5) Transit Visa (G-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is to transit through China on his or her way to a third country (or region).
(6) Crew Visa(C-visa)is issued to crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members..
(7) Journalist Visa (J-visa)is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-1 visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children, J-2 visa to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
(8) Permanent Residence Visa(D-visa)is issued to a foreign citizen who has been approved by China's public security authority to reside in China permanently.
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