Historical Harbin - Centre Street, Harbin

Located in Daoli Distict, Zhongyang Street is a symbolic street of Harbin, which can be called “a collection of European style architecture”. It was built in 1898 originally and entitled "pedestrian street" in 1997 by the local government.
There are all kinds of shopping places,night clubs and restaurants alongside the street.
It is a paradise of shoppers and worth of visiting for those who wants to know the Europen style buildings.

highly recommend: Central Street or 'Zhong Yang Da Jie' in Chinese, Saint Sophia Church, Guogeli Street in Nangang District. If you are fond of Chinese architectures, Jile Temple is also an option. You can have a really close view of Manchurian Tiger in the Manchurian Tiger Park, which locates at the other side of Songhua River. When winter comes, there are snow sculpture and ice lamp exhibition on Sun Island (Tai Yang Dao in Chinese), that's the real fun part of Harbin winter.

During Ice and Snow Festival, Ice and Snow World is a must-see spot. It's an ice and snow wonderlandt, but it is not built on land. It's built on the froozen river. The vast area is fulfilled with ice and snow facilities and arts. Pretty fun.

Arrange your trip for 2 or 3 days is good enough for the city.

Please go and check the pics at:

http://public.fotki.com/linnil/china/harbin/online_pictures-1/

4 more images

Ever since the Old Harbin days, Zhongyang Dajie has been THE street to see and be seen.

Even during the days of the Cultural Revolution, my friends tell me Zhongyang Dajie remained lively and bustling.

Today it is pedestrian, and carefully restored. There are many Western luxury stores, but the flavor of the street is not too diluted.

old cobbled street founded in harbin by the russians. Though Harbin is close to russia. its hard to imagine the tzarist spender where now is the bussle of a modern chinese city.

this photo cracks me up and honestly is russians walking down centre street. Photo can be found in st sofias church

Harbin is a city full of early 20th Century buildings, and "its day will come". Just as tourists, domestic and foreign, marvel at the architecture of Harbin, so they will eventually see the same beauty and elegance in the older buildings of Harbin. Most, but not all, are noe protected by the government, and one area - Zhongyang Jie - has been pedestrianised as a shopping mall. Sadly, music blaring out of huge pavement loudspeakers at awesome volume, huge advertising hoardings and more telephone and electricity wiring than imagineable still spoil the atmosphere.
Contrary to what is written in some guidebooks, there is a lot of 'old' Harbin beyond the "Zhongyang Lu triangle".

Individual streets and areas have been reviewed here on VT, but the following streets are particularly worth exploring:

Daoli area:
Zhongyang Lu and side streets east and west
Tongjiao Lu
Shangzhi Lu
Diduan Lu
Diduan Lu
Stalin and Jiuzhan Parks (for old wooden pavilions)
Eastern end of Jingwei Lu

Nanfang area:
Hongbo Square
Xi and Dong Dazhi Jie
Minyi Jie
Huayuan Jie
Hongjun Jie
Yiman Jie
Mujie Jie
Haicheng Jie (for the old railway workers cottages)

If you have additional information about the old buildings of Harbin....corrections, better photographs, old photographs, please do contact me!

--another must see---
Situated at the business centre in Daoli District, central stree(Zhongyang street), 1,450 metres in length and 21.34 metres in width, is an important business street known for having had some historical and cultural significance. In 1997, it was formally named as a pedestrian street . The most attractive feature of this street lies in a line of the buildings constructed in European style. Now, it has become an ideal place for both tourists and local inhabitants to go shopping, sightseeing or enjoy themselves.

Old buildings beside the both side of the road, various of goods and great stone street.