Harbin 哈尔滨
As my flight from Hong Kong was descending into Harbin’s Taiping International Airport on a cool late summer afternoon, I could see the flooded river planes below, it reminded me of the American Midwest with tributes of the Mississippi River flowing over its banks, it reminded me of my homeland, and I felt an instant connection to the land.
Harbin is located in Northeast China, it is the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin was once under Russian rule and the city is still influenced by its Russian past.Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets".
Harbin has very cold winters and is often called "Ice City"; it is well-known for one of the world’s largest ice sculpture festivals held here every winter. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius and −16.8 degrees Celsius in winter.
Like many places in China, this city is filled with the energy of a growing economy with buildings going up, shopping malls opening for business and financial firms advertising on every street. I enjoyed many things in Harbin, the architecture, the cuisine, the universities, and the people. I believe what makes Harbin special are its people, they are filled with passion, often very friendly and open hearted. I left this city looking forward to my future return.
I believe to understand the local culture it is a must to experience the local cuisine, some dishes I suggest to try in Harbin are:
Harbin Smoked Sausage (哈尔滨红肠; Hāěrbīnhóngcháng). This type of sausage is unique to Harbin, it is very popular with locals and it is sold everywhere, the flavor is more European than Chinese.
Lamb Dishes are served in various forms all over town, if you like lamb you will not find a bad dish in Harbin. I eat lamb BBQ on the street and I had lamb dishes in restaurants they all were delicious.
Harbin Spring Rolls (春饼 or 卷饼; Chūnbǐng or Juǎn bǐng). a tasty wrap of potato strips, cucumber, sausage and egg all with a spicy sauce.
Russian Breads Harbin's bakeries are famous for their bread “lie-ba” in the local dialect, derived from the Russian word “khleb” for bread.
I enjoyed some good meals while in Harbin, one of them was with two local Univerisity students, we eat at a local Korean BBQ restaurant, the food was good and they both were very friendly and they give me great insights into life in Harbin and the region.
I had a wonderful meal with a Russian woman who works with me, we ate at the Cafe Russia (露西亚西餐厅), (Near the Flood Control Monument of Zhongyang Dajie). The owner is half Chinese/ half Russian; they have created a fantastic atmosphere with elegant furniture, tasteful music, a working grandfather clock and a display to commemorate one of the last White Russians who lived in Harbin. The name in Chinese is 'Luxiya' i.e. Lucia -> 'Rossiya' (Russia).
To get a good feel for Harbin, I suggest visiting these places:
Zhongyang Dajie (中央大街; Zhōngyāngdàjiē; lit. Central Avenue), (Runs from Jingwei Jie to Stalin Park at the river) is cobblestone lined pedestrian street that is a virtual museum of European architectural styles, including Baroque, Byzantine, and Jewish architectural with many international themed shops lining the street.
St. Sophia Cathedral (圣索非亚教堂; Shèngsuǒfēiyàjiàotáng), (In Daoli District on the corner of Zhaolin Street and Toulong Street). Was once a Russian Orthodox Church, it took nine years to build and was completed in 1932. It has now been made into a museum as a showcase of the multi-cultural architecture of Harbin.
The Siberian Tiger Preserve (老虎公园; Lǎohǔgōngyuán), I found this place to be very interesting, its not a place for people who are not use to seeing tigers eat live animals. There are hundreds of tigers in this park and a few lions. There is a bus you can ride with metal caging around it. The ride is about an hour long and while on the bus you can purchase strips of meat to feed the tigers. Also there are live chickens, ducks, goats and even cows that you can purchase and they feed to the tigers.
Dragon TV Tower (龙塔; Lóngtǎ). It is the tallest steel structure in northeastern Asia. There is a revolving restaurant on top with views of the city.
Sun Island (太阳岛; Tàiyángdǎo), On the banks of the Songhua River, it can be reached by ferry boat. The park is very Chinese in nature with a cage full of squirrels, a petting deer zoo, go carts, and a pond that is full of turtles. I found this to be a great place to people watch.
Temple of Heavenly Bliss (极乐寺; Jílèsì), Dongdazhi Street (东大直街; Dōngdàzhíjiē) (In the eastern part of the city). Is a large and active Buddhist temple
The Harbin Institute of Technology 哈尔滨工业大学; is a research university and is involved in China’s space program.
I see great things for Harbin’s future; I hope I have the opportunity to return there some day soon.
