Palace Century Hotel Harbin

Well, I guess most people come...

by fwfwfw

Well, I guess most people come here for the Ice Festival (so did we), and it is really worth it!!! But don't forget to go to Sun Island for the Snow Festival as well. Only consider the temperatures in Harbin during this season and bring plenty of thick clothes.

North Hongjun Jie

by mke1963

The slope down from Hongbo Square to the station is a particularly interesting street, architecturally (although I discovered later that photographs of the Russian Officers Club building didn't come out!)

The Russian Officers Club stands on the corner opposite the station at the bottom of the hill. The building was constructed in 1904 as the China Eastern Railway Hotel before being converted into the Tsarist Officers Club just three years later. Then after the 1932 Japanese invasion, the club became the residence of the senior Japanese officers.
The most striking part is not the building itself, but the beautiful wrought-iron entrance shelter to protect people from the rain, snow or sun as they arrived at the front doors.
Just above this building are several more, constructed later and used at various times as offices of the military and the railway company.
Side streets to the east contain more beautiful old buildings, many now abandoned but at least (hopefully) protected for the future.
If vernacular or industrial architecture switches you on, ask the friendly gatekeeper at the gateway at the far western end of the station courtyard to let you in to the railway goods yard. The long low sheds are original and remarkably seem to have not a single brick changed since they were built around 1910. To the north, across the railway tracks, the old engine sheds also look completely unchanged and still have the 'triangular' track behind to allow steam engines to be turned around without needing a turntable. Steam engines are no longer seen on the mainline in Harbin, but the water-towers and facilities remain.

Ice sculpture festival

by GillianMcLaughlin

There is one reason, and one reason only to travel to Harbin in the winter ... that is a most fantastic Ice sculpture festival. When I went it started on January 5th (2000)... be prepared: it's freezing (minus 20 - 30) so don't touch metal or you'll be stuck there till spring! You need to visit at night (it's illuminated) and during the day you can wander through the old streets which have amazing Russian domes.

Waging War Against Water

by ellyse

In late November 2005, the water in Harbin's Songhua River was polluted by an industrial accident and the city stopped obtaining drinking water from that source. Harbin's winter tourism was consequently affected by the scare over the (non)availability of safe drinking water.
Almost half a century ago, this monument was built to celebrate the embankment's success in holding back the flood waters, saving many lives.

Harbin= shop stop, lacking in culture, fun anyway

by antiextreme

"Surprised by what I found."

I didn't really know what to expect from my first trip to China. Realizing that Harbin is probably not representative of the whole country, I was pleased to find and neat and clean city, orderly people, and things built to Western standards. After living for the last two years in Vladivostok, it was a welcome surprise. Along with all that is modern, you still see trash stacked on bicycles and people urinating on the boulevards. Food is good, shopping is great, sights are lacking, the people are not extremely used to foreigners, but still treat you with respect. I recommend it to anyone living abroad and in sore need of a trip to the States, but can't afford the airfare. Harbin is the next best thing. They even have a Wal-Mart!!