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Harbin Travel Guide
Harbin is the capital city of China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang. Known as the 'Eastern Moscow', Harbin has always been regarded as a unique and exotic city. The majestic St. Sofia Orthodox Church and Zhongyang Dajie each built in a European style have the effect of bringing you into an 'eastern Moscow'. Even though you are sure to be attracted by various exotic buildings, the Dragon Tower which embodies the wisdom of the Chinese people is a must on your journey. Besides these rich cultural heritages, Harbin is favored with beautiful natural scenery. It is also called the 'Ice City', which is known as a Paradise of Ice and Snow and is famous for its dazzling outdoor winter artwork. Harbin in winter will become a delighted paradise of ice and snow culture. Tourists both at home and abroad are welcome to the Ice and Snow Cultural Paradise.
Harbin has long, cold winters and cool, short summers. Between July and September, the city becomes a pleasant summer resort, averaging temperatures of 20 ºC (68 ºF). Harbin winters can be very cold, with temperatures plummeting as low as -40 ºC (-40 ºF). Snow starts as early as November and the coldest month is January. However, the winter months are a great time to visit Harbin, when the city is a fantastic world of snow and ice. Dress in plenty of layers, and punctuate your visit to the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival with frequent trips inside for a hot drink or hearty stew.
The colonial influence in Harbin is evident in much of the city's cuisine and eating here is a very different experience from dining elsewhere in China or indeed elsewhere in the province. Taking influences from Russia, Mongolia, Korea and, of course, China, the food in Harbin is much "heartier" than you will find anywhere else in China. Stews and other “dun cai” are popular dishes. Because the winters are long here you'll find fewer exotic ingredients and the heavy use of vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, cucumber, and corn. Chinese BBQ or “shao kao” and Hot Pot are equally popular in Harbin and are a must to try once you get into town.
For starters, the exterior of the restaurants is pretty unique. Lanterns hang outside each restaurant, denoting different characteristics about the food and facilities available. Red lanterns denote a typical Chinese place and blue or green lanterns indicate that the restaurant serves Muslim food (no pork).
The actual dishes available in many places are also unusual. Exotic animals such as deer, bear, and tiger were once an integral part of the diet there but fortunately Beijing made its disapproval of this kind of thing clear in recent years, and Bear Paw and Siberian Tiger Testicles are no longer as popular as they once were.
In line with its historical influence, Russian styles are used abundantly in the preparation of most dishes. Stroganoff and caviar are also available in a few places.
By air
The Harbin Peace International Airport is the second largest international airport in Northeast China. There are flights to/from more than 30 large and medium-sized tourist cities, such as, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Dalian, Xi'an and Hong Kong. There are a few scheduled international flights to the following countries: U.S.A., Russia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.
By train
Harbin has two railway stations; The Harbin Railway Station, located at No.1, Tielu Jie, Nangang District, was originally Songjiang Railway Station, and was built by the USSR. It now plays a vital role as a transfer station. The other is the Harbin Eastern Railway Station which is the terminus for trains both departing and arriving in Harbin. Here you can take trains to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Jinan, etc.
Qianshoufo International Recreation Club
Covering an area of 1,200 square meters, the club includes three swimming pools, a bowling alley, a nightclub, and a disco.
Address: 125 Yiman Street, Nangang District
Pedestrian Disco Bar
Superb sound equipment and lighting system. The Pedestrian Disco Bar combines entertainment and recreation.
Address: 8 Hongzhuan Street, Daoli District
Red Leaf Club
Renowned for its great location and well-trained staff.
Address: 91 Min'an Road, Daoli District
Star Hollywood Disco Bar
Ideal place to dance and watch artistic performances.
Address: 41 Central Avenue
Yan Emperor Club
Exciting music and splendid surroundings.
Address: 139 Gexin Street, Nangang District
Golden Lemon Bar
One thousand square meters space in this two-storey entertainment center, the bar also has several KTV rooms, a games room, a billiard room, and a live band from the Philippines.
Address: Recreation Area, Xi Qi Dao Street, Daoli Street
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.
Officially, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival starts from January 5th and it lasts one month. However, often the exhibitions open earlier and last longer, weather permitting. Ice sculpture decoration ranges from the modern technology of lasers to traditional ice lanterns. There are ice lantern park touring activities held in many parks in the city. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli alpine skiing, winter-swimming in the Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous.
