Located in the middle reaches of the Songhua River in the northeast of China?Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang Province. Being the political, cultural and industrial center in Heilongjiang, Harbin has a population of 9.48 million. Over 40 nationalities live in the area, most are Han nationality. Ethnic minorities include Manchurians, Koreans, Russians and Mongolians.
Under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia, the annual average temperature in Harbin is 4.3C (36F), the highest monthly average temperature is 23C (72F) and the lowest is -15.8C (4F). Winter is cold and lengthy, typically lasting seven months from October to April.
Archaeological records show that prehistoric humans lived in the region around Harbin as long ago as 22,000 years. The city first came into being with the settlement, in 1097, of the Nuzhen nationality, which founded the Jin Kingdom (1115-1234AD) and DaTsing (Qing) Empire (1644-1911AD) successively. The location was a natural fishing area, situated on the Songhua River. By the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368AD) the region was named Harbin, meaning, “Where the fishing nets are dried.”
In 1896, the Russian government seized the area and extended the Siberian railway into northeastern China. They chose Harbin as a railhead. By 1898, the city had turn out to be a Russian concession. By 1903, when the railway was completed, a modern city was taking shape. Following its defeat in the Russian-Japanese War (1904-5), Russia’s influence declined, and 160,000 nationals from 33 countries including the United States, Germany, and France moved to Harbin. Sixteen countries established consulates and set up a number of thousand industrial, commercial and banking firms. Harbin became an international metropolis. The Japanese took control of the city in 1932 as a component of the Japanese puppet kingdom of Manchukuo. The Soviets retook the city in 1945, remaining for nearly ten years.
Known as “Ice City,” Harbin is famous for its winter scenery and its charming combination of European and Chinese architecture. The annual Ice & Snow Festival, held from the 5th of January to the end of February, has attracted tens of thousands tourists from home and abroad taking Harbin travel. Harbin also has numerous ski resorts, 1 of the most advanced is Yabuli Ski Resort which held the 1996 Asian Winter Games and is still attracting thousands of visitors to take part in a variety of winter sports.
Harbin food features strong flavors and warm spices. It is a mix of Manchu, Shandong and Russian cuisines. When you take Harbin tour, the smaller outlets on Nangang Food Street in Guogeli Dajie or the Laodaowai are highly recommended. When you do shopping in Harbin, you can go to the Central Street and Sino-Russia Border Trade Marketplace where you can view the Russian and European style architectures and come across a excellent selection of Russian items.