Harbin

Harbin (哈尔滨 Hā'ěrbīn) is the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. The city is notable for its Russian influence and the yearly Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, giving it the unofficial title Ice City.

Understand


Harbin is China's northernmost major city, with a population in excess of 10 million, and over 4 million in the city center alone. The city has been influenced a lot by neighboring Russia, in particular after the October Revolution of 1917, when the Russians of the White movement that supported the deposed czar escaped the country after the communist takeover, many of whom settled in Harbin. Although most of these Russians were deported back to Russia during the Soviet occupation of Harbin at the end of World War II, or fled following the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, the Russian influence remains clearly visible in the building styles and foods. As a significant minority of these White Russians were Jewish, Harbin also has much Jewish heritage to explore.

The city was founded in 1897 as a camp for Russian engineers surveying the Trans-Siberian Railway. Labor demands brought in a collection of outcasts from across Russia, Poland and even from within Manchuria. The city was captured by the Japanese during World War II and later taken back by the Soviet Union in 1945, before being returned to China in 1952. Once nothing more than a Russian-built outpost of the railway line, Harbin has managed to become a major player in its own right and the capital of Heilongjiang Province.

Recent history
Northeastern China was built up as an industrial center using existing Soviet and Japanese factories. By the 1980s these outdated and inefficient factories could not keep up. To further complicate matters, starting in the early 1990s, large portions of China's state-owned enterprise workers were laid off. Thus, like many other cities in this region, contemporary Harbin is struggling with an aging work force and unemployment. Private enterprise is mostly centered in the service sector, retail, restaurants, etc. with most large scale enterprises still state-owned. However, the province has thousands of state-owned enterprises up for sale, and many have been purchased since the late 1990s. Universities in Harbin also play a vital role in the economy in education and research and through their subsidiary companies.

In 2005 there was a major pollution spill on the Songhua River.

Climate
Harbin is known for its very cold winters: in January, temperatures average -24 °C to −12 °C. Bring more clothes than you will think you will need so that you can layer. Winter can become dreary if you are a long-term resident, as the entire city uses coal for heat; air quality rapidly decreases during these months. But it's not as bad as Beijing, many locals wear their masks not for the pollution, but for the ice-cold wind and the frosty temperatures to heat up the air they breathe.

Harbin can be a great place to visit in the summer, with daytime temperatures normally in the upper 20s °C. Compared with most places in China, the weather is cool and it seems to be perpetually breezy, and most of the city's streets are lined with trees. Because the city is so cold all winter, life almost explodes and people crowd the streets until late at night eating kabobs, playing poker, and drinking Harbin Beer (哈啤 Hapi). This is a great escape from the heat of Beijing. A trip up to the border regions this time of year would be nice as well.

Foreigners in Harbin
The vast majority of the foreigners living in Harbin are either Russian or Korean, with the Russians obviously being the more visible of the two. Much of the famous "Dongbei hospitality" has worn thin, with native Harbiners holding an increasingly negative view of foreigners in general. But that does not under any circumstances mean that they will not stare at you or take pictures of you, especially if you have fair hair and coloured eyes, and for men a beard. Some will come up to you and ask for a picture with you or if they can touch your hair, but more often than not you will just "accidentally" find yourself in the viewfinder of a mobile phone or camera.

There are also a small number of European and Brazilian professionals working in the city, as well as a number of English teachers hailing from various countries. However, the lack of foreign investment in the province as a whole means that most of the resident expats are either students or teachers. There are also a number of African and Middle Eastern students studying at the high-profile Harbin Institute of Technology.

By plane
Airport Bus Line 1 - Airport 机场 - Kang'an Lu 康安路 - Tongda Jie 通达街 - Anfa Qiao 安发桥 - Harbin Railway Station 哈尔滨站 - CAAC Building 民航大厦

Airport Bus Line 2 - Airport 机场 - Haining Fur City 海宁皮草城 - Ling Gongli 零公里 - Chilun Lu 齿轮路 - Harbin West Railway Station 哈尔滨西站 - Fuzhuang Cheng 服装城 - Xuefu Binguan 学府宾馆 - Hexing Shangsha 和兴商厦 - Lesong Guangchang 乐松广场 - Guolu Chang1 锅炉厂1 - Haci Jituan1 哈慈集团1 - Tongxiang Shangdian1 通乡商店1 - Nongken Dasha 农垦大厦- Tianyang Binguan 天洋宾馆 - Huizhan Zhongxin 会展中心

1 Bus only stops during morning and evening peak hours.

Airport Bus Line 3 - Airport 机场 - Chengxiang Lu 城乡路 - Guxiang 顾乡 - Anhong Jie 安红街 - Zhongyang Dajie 中央大街 - Ba Qu 八区 - Daowai Long Distance Bus Station 道外客运站 - Jungong 军工 - Taiping Qiao 太平桥 - Harbing East Railway Station 哈尔滨东站

Airport Bus "Hazhan" Line - Airport 机场 - Harbin Railway Station 哈尔滨站

By train


Being a major Chinese city, Harbin is well connected by train and is a convenient way to travel. The city is served by several train stations, so the station you arrive or depart from will depend on the train you take. Be sure to confirm which station your train calls at beforehand. The major railway stations in Harbin include:



There are also several minor train stations within the city. These stations serve regional and local trains and in most cases the typical traveller will not need to use them.

By car
Harbin is connected to the rest of China via the China Highway 102 via Changchun. Harbin is also connected via road to Inner Mongolia, Russia, and Jilin.

By bus
The main long-distance bus station (长途客运站 Changtu Keyun Zhan) is across the square from main train station.

The majority of cities in Heilongjiang can be reached via bus.
 * Beijing - takes about 18 hours
 * Mudanjiang - takes about 4 hours. Frequent departures.
 * Qiqihar - takes about 5 hours
 * Changchun - takes about 4 hours
 * Jilin - takes about 6 hours
 * Dalian - takes about 10 hrs
 * Shenyang - takes about 8 hours
 * Wudailanchi - takes about 6 hours
 * Yanji - takes about 9 hours

Traveling to Russia One daily departure which leaves early in the morning. Buy tickets in the Russian travel agency on the second floor of the bus station. The price is basically the same as going through Mudanjiang/Suifenhe on your own.
 * Vladivostok - takes about 12 hr

If you have all your papers sorted, the border crossing is straightforward. Guards on the Chinese side speak fluent English and might be curious of non-Russian/Chinese passports. You are required to take all your items with you when crossing the border, do not leave bags on the bus.

By taxi
Taxis are inexpensive and convenient. However, always ask them to run the meter (请打表 qǐng dǎ biǎo) instead of attempting to negotiate a price in order avoid possible conflicts. Flag fall is ¥8 and covers the first 3 km of travel. After that, the rate is ¥1 per 500 m. There is also a charge levied based on the time the car is stationary (i.e. stuck in traffic), but this is usually only of significance in truly awful, gridlocked traffic conditions. At the end of the journey, a ¥1 fuel surcharge will be added to the amount displayed on the meter. If you wish to have a receipt, say to the driver (请发票 qǐng fā piào).

Taxi drivers in Harbin are known to be reckless&mdash;running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic, etc.&mdash;so buckle up! Most taxi drivers do not speak any English or read Pinyin, so unless you speak fluent Mandarin Chinese showing them the Chinese characters for your destination is often the only option that will work. Do not be surprised if the taxi stops to pick up other passengers during rush hour, and if you are picked up by a taxi with passengers, even if the meter reads ¥13 when you get in, the taxi driver will still expect you to pay the full amount on the meter when you depart the taxi!

By bus
Still the backbone of Harbin's public transport system, at least until the Metro expands, the bus system covers pretty much every part of the city. For all its practicality for locals, for tourists it shares many of the same problems of other Chinese urban bus systems, foremost being that the system signage is completely in Chinese, although some buses do announce the next stop information in both Chinese and English. The buses vary in quality, although there does appear to be a program in place for updating buses route by route. Modern buses have heating systems (a godsend in winter!) and are both relatively nimble and accelerate rather quickly. Older buses on the other hand might remind some of agricultural vehicles, are usually unheated and may not even have proper seals on the windows. That said, it can still be a useful method of transport, especially when all the taxis seem to be taken. People who plan on staying in Harbin for a long period should at least be familiar with routes that take them to their residence, workplace, or college.

Fares for most buses are only ¥1 or ¥2 for a single ride. No tickets are issued. Passengers can pay by touching on with an "IC" card or by putting ¥1 or ¥2 into the fare box as they board the bus. Be sure to be standing by the back door when you want to get off at the next stop or the driver may assume that no one is getting off and potentially skip the stop. If ice is covering your windows, blocking your view of the outside, a plastic bank card can be useful to scrape it off. Buses usually operate from 05:00-06:00 and the last service tends to set off at about 8PM, depending on route. Hawkers on the street will sell a map of greater Harbin including bus routes for about ¥5.

By subway
The Harbin Metro 哈尔滨地铁 has two lines in operation: Line 1 and a short section of Line 3. Line 2 and the rest of Line 3 are under construction. They are scheduled to be operational in the early 2020s. When completed, they will form a "cross-hair" network. In practical terms, the Harbin Metro has a similar feel to most Chinese subway systems, with bilingual signage throughout. English-speaking visitors should be able to navigate the system easily enough. The system is fully underground and uses specially made trains that can operate in temperatures approaching -38 °C. The stations are also decorated in a European style, to reflect Harbin's Russian history.

First departures are at 06:00 with the last train leaving its origin at 21:00. Fares cost ¥2-5 depending on distance. The Harbin Jiaotong IC card can be used, however no discount is offered and because cards are scanned when exiting the subway, each passenger must use their own IC card. Ticket machines are at all stations and can be used in both Chinese and English.

Operational lines are: Construction works which cause lane or road closures may affect traffic conditions in various parts of Harbin.
 * Line 1 This line connects Harbin East railway station with Harbin South railway station via Dongdazhi Jie 东大直街 and Xidazhi Jie 西大直街, both major roads in Harbin.
 * Line 3 (Stage 1) The first part of a circle line, this line connects to Line 1's Yidaeryuan 医大二院 Station. Only four stations are in use. Most useful for getting to Harbin West railway station 哈尔滨西站

By ferry
In summer, several ferries operate along the Songhua River, mainly travelling between the north and south banks of the river. A nicer, more scenic way of getting to some destinations such as Sun Island than the standard bus or taxi. Tickets are sold at the dock. All information is in Chinese.

Religious sites








International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival
By far Harbin's biggest claim to fame, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (哈尔滨国际冰雪节 Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié) is held every year, running from early January until warm weather erodes the constructions (exact dates vary). Throughout the city you will find small ice and snow sculptures during the festival, however there are three major sites with large ice and snow sculptures on display.

The major sites for the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival include:



Work
For foreigners, pretty much the only employment is teaching English. There are positions at public and private schools. If you are in the city and don't already have employment, check out the bulletin board at Hamama's Kofi House.

Learn


Harbin is the center for higher education in Northeast China, and has several leading universities, with the most famous being Harbin Institute of Technology. The universities make up a large portion of the cities economy and employ a large part of the population. Many of these schools were founded by the Russians and still retain the architectural charm of their predecessors. There are also several medical universities in the city that support the local hospitals.

Studying Chinese
Harbin is famous for its standard Mandarin pronunciation. It's a very good place to study Mandarin. As the saying goes, 'If you want to study Chinese language, come to China. If you want to study Mandarin, come to Beijing. If you want to study standard Mandarin, come to Harbin.' It can be a cheap alternative to Beijing for studying Mandarin, with tuition costing about half and housing one third of what it would be in Beijing or Shanghai. Most universities have lots of Korean and Russian students. There are a couple of cheap Western cafes and a small but lively foreign student social scene at the local expat hangouts on the weekends, such as Blues. Many schools in Harbin offer Chinese language programs:



Also, the city offers the opportunity to study Mandarin Chinese one to one:


 * The Harbin Mandarin School encourages a complete immersion in the study of Mandarin, thereby imparting a unique understanding of the need for fluency and nature of a subject while building skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Studying TESOL

 * Will-Excel TESOL Institute offers a TESOL Diploma program which combines a 160-hour classroom TESOL course in Harbin with a 6-12 month paid teaching-term in Harbin or another city.

Studying other subjects
If your Mandarin is good enough you can enroll in most of the schools in Harbin. Many Pakistani students study Medicine at the Heilongjiang Medical University. Tuition is cheap.

Buy


Imported Russian goods of all types and qualities are available from tourist shops around town. Look out for vodka, Russian dolls, and chocolate. The local Chinese appeared to have picked up some aspects of Russian cuisine, with western style bread and sausage available around town. Beyond this, the shopping is much like any other city in China.


 * Zhongyang Dajie The main shopping district is along Zhongyang Dajie where there is a Wal-Mart near the flood control monument and another shopping district along Guogeli Jie where you can find clothing, food and more. Along this street are huge new shopping malls such as the Euro Plaza, Parksons, and Lane Crawford that carry international brands and are expensive. There are Nike stores, KFC and interesting Russian thrift stores. The street is lined with beer gardens during the summer.
 * Zhongyang Dajie The main shopping district is along Zhongyang Dajie where there is a Wal-Mart near the flood control monument and another shopping district along Guogeli Jie where you can find clothing, food and more. Along this street are huge new shopping malls such as the Euro Plaza, Parksons, and Lane Crawford that carry international brands and are expensive. There are Nike stores, KFC and interesting Russian thrift stores. The street is lined with beer gardens during the summer.

However in winter, the shops closed quite early due to bitter cold.


 * Guogeli Dajie (果戈里大街). Harbin's second biggest shopping district after Zhongyang Dajie (bigger in size). The area around here is dotted with Russian buildings and HUGE shopping complexes. At night there are numerous night markets, a small scale Russian church where people dance, and a small and lively "bar lake."
 * Indian Street (印度一条街). A commercial side street right off Guogeli Dajie. If you're facing the East, it's past the giant castle and on your right. Used to be complete with Indian thrift stores, clothing, and food, but now offers only Russian items, including dolls, pocketknives and toys. But don't expect any Indian restaurants as there aren't any yet.

Money
Most ATMs around the city work with international cards, such as the Bank of China and the China Merchants Bank.



Unique items

 * The Hongbo Shichang, at the intersection of Dong Dazhi Jie and Hongjun Jie, is an enormous underground shopping center—if they don't have it, you don't need it.
 * Harbin Sex Store/Museum on Guogeli Dajie sells all sorts of sex materials and toys. Kind of unexpected for conservative China.
 * Pirate DVDs A large DVD store occupies a corner in the basement of the Jiaohua Electronics Market (教化电子市场). All DVD's are around ¥6 and arranged alphabetically. Opposite from the Harbin Institute of Technology's main gate (哈工大正门对面) and across the street from Buy Now Hui. Be sure and buy the DVDs sold in the main store, and not at the numerous small kiosks that take up the rest of the basement.

Clothing

 * Chinese Military Surplus Clothing Looking for a comfy cold weather jacket like the Chinese wear? There are a number of stores around the city. One is towards the end of Xidazhi Jie near the Harbin Institute of Technology.
 * Western Brands The shopping malls at Hongbo and Zhongyang Dajie have everything from Gucci, Brooks Brothers, and Zegna to Timberland and Adidas. Items are internationally priced.
 * Chinese Military Surplus Clothing Looking for a comfy cold weather jacket like the Chinese wear? There are a number of stores around the city. One is towards the end of Xidazhi Jie near the Harbin Institute of Technology.
 * Western Brands The shopping malls at Hongbo and Zhongyang Dajie have everything from Gucci, Brooks Brothers, and Zegna to Timberland and Adidas. Items are internationally priced.

Everyday needs

 * Carrefour. There are several other Carrefours in the city.

Eat
If there is one thing special about Harbin, it has to be the food. Taking influences from Russia, Mongolia, Korea and of course China, the food in Harbin is much "heartier" than you can find anywhere in China, and stews and other duncai are popular dishes. Because the winters are long here you'll find less exotic ingredients and heavy use of vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, cucumber and corn. Chinese BBQ or shaokao and Hot Pot is also equally popular in Harbin and is a must eat once you get into town.

One thing you will notice is that Dongbei people love to eat, and its not just for the food, but for getting all their friends together at one table and drinking/eating the night away. Thus this city is dominated by restaurants with large tables that seat groups of people. Besides small food stalls, only near the Universities and busy shopping areas will you find cozy little restaurants. In Harbin, liveliness (renao) attracts customers as much as the food; some restaurants are so loud you may need earplugs!

Harbin is also known among the Chinese for its Russian food, though it is often significantly localised and may not be the same as what Russian visitors would be used to back home.

Drink
Just because Harbin is below freezing a good amount of the year, doesn't mean it's devoid of nightlife. In fact, Harbin is one of the "rowdier" cities in China. Just don't expect Shanghai or even Beijing "quality" establishments. Most places in Harbin have puke stains on the toilets that are months old. With a good number of foreigners living in the city studying and working, the weekends are always bustling around 2-3 locations such as Blues, The Box, Pacers, or the small bars around the Universities. Dongbei people are reqing (热情) or very lively and seem to drink with almost every meal! Oftentimes at restaurants you'll see drunk men singing away and then lighting up their cigarettes to signal the night is coming to an end. And of course what would be better than to spend the wee hours of the night singing away to the tune of Titanic and Michael Jackson at one of the KTV's that can be found at almost every street corner!

In Harbin, people often start off the night at a cheap shaokao or Hotpot restaurant washed down with ¥1.5 bottles of Hapi. After a long dinner its usually to one of Harbin's clubs or bars to spend the rest of the night. If you are not a fan of the drinking scene, Harbin may not be for you as there isn't much else to do. That being said, there are dozens of small bars and a few cafes, so if you are not one for dancing and loud discos there are plenty of options. Some non-drinking activities include bowling, pool, or visiting a tea house.

Clubs
Many discos that cater mainly to Chinese have table minimums. That is, each table has a different minimum purchase to sit there and you must purchase at least that much as soon as you sit down. They won't trust that you will eventually purchase enough over the course of the evening. Some even have the price of the table on a tent card sitting on the table. You can try and get around this sales tactic by saying you want to just have a look around (wo yao xian kan kan) and hope that they forget about you.



Bars
Most bars in the city are clustered around the universities and tourist districts. The Development Zone has some bars as well but they are more expensive.

The campus of Harbin Institute of Technology (复华小区) is surrounded with a number of small and cozy bars. HIT itself has a number of foreign teachers and hundreds of foreign students. Some notable bars here are:

Sky Bar/Cafe: A new bar back on the scene after closing down a couple of years ago. A cosy little pub in an old Russian-style building. Widest range of imported beers in town. Amazing fish and chips, burgers and other pub food. Staff are fluent in English and good to sit around and chat too. Big screen TV for live sports....just ask them and they will put it on for you. They have Trivia every Thursday and Texas Hold'em on Tuesdays. The best place to hang and meet others in "The Bin." 南岗区砖街13号（曲线街砖街交口附近）.

At the middle portion of Guogeli Dajie (果戈里大街) near Children s Park (儿童公园) there is a small man made lake that is surrounded by 10 or so small pubs and a fountain. During the warmer months this small square is packed with people out for a night stroll and is really lively. This also seems to be a place for the trendy teens and college age kids to hang out. If you continue walking down Guogeli Dajie there are a few more small bars dotting the street. Great for people watching! For about ¥100 you can order a "beer tower" (啤酒塔 pijiuta), which is a tall plastic tube with a spigot on the bottom. At the other end of the lake there is a restaurant that resembles TGI Friday's, as besides the name being changed to DJ Friday's almost everything else has been copied. What makes this place really stand out from the real TGI Fridays are the scantily clad Russian dancers.

Near Heilongjiang University (黑龙江大学) on Xue Fu #4 street there are some restaurants and cafes, but no bars.

Teahouses and cafes
There are a number of very nice teahouses in the New Development Zone (开发区). Most will rent you a room and will charge by the hour, plus whatever tea you decide to drink. Some of the teahouses are on Hengshan Lu (衡山路) such as 君如意茶楼， 雅泰茶楼.



Live music
There is a Jazz Bar on Guogeli Dajie that often has a piano/sax duo playing, and guitar/vocalists can be found at some of the smaller bars around HIT and Hei Da.

Budget
Almost every bath house in the city has a large room with 50-100 plush beds where you can spend up to 24 hours. You can also lock your belongings in a locker and use their shower facilities, most of them have an 'all you can eat' buffet as well. Total around ¥50 which just can't be beat. Look for signs that say 洗浴 and make sure its fairly big as the smaller ones will not provide these types of services. When you come in pack light as to not look suspicious. This is not recommended for inexperienced travelers and it is highly unlikely any of the service staff will speak English.

Other budget options include:



Stay safe
While it is unlikely that you will be a victim of a crime, as in any large city be vigilant about your personal property, exercise care if you find yourself on a lightly traveled street, and always be aware of your surroundings.

Most trouble that people run into in Harbin revolves around drinking at the clubs. Harbin is famous in China for being a "rough" city, and locals pride themselves on their machismo. Fights are common on the weekends and while this may not directly involve you, it's best to leave at the first signs of conflict. Don't expect bar security to come to your rescue.


 * Avoid going to clubs alone.
 * Be vigilant of your personal property and be aware of your surroundings. Especially if you're taking the bus, Chinese buses are crowded and you will be shoved and pushed a lot, if you're standing at the doors it's all the worse.
 * Be careful when crossing the street. Keep an eye on the locals and cross with them.
 * Dress warmly and in layers during the winter months.
 * Avoid fish caught in the Songhua River as it was contaminated by benzyne in November 2005 – fish is available from the many lakes surrounding Harbin.
 * Avoid going into small bathhouses and small KTV alone, as you may end up being forced to pay for a bill you didn't order. If you choose to go, be mindful of what you are getting into and leave at the first sign of illegal activity. People interested in a "massage" with extras should avoid doing it in Harbin.

Free emergency telephone numbers:
 * Police: 110.
 * Fire alarm: 119.
 * Medical care: 120.

Remember these three telephone numbers. They are valid on most of the Chinese mainland.

Internet
The city is littered with net bars (网吧 wangba) that are usually very cheap and do not require I.D at the door like the ones in Beijing. The biggest Internet cafes are near the universities like Harbin Institute of Technology and Hei Da. Be forewarned that sometimes you may have to wait for a computer depending on what time of day it is (17:00-24:00 are the worst, school is out) and that the Internet connection can sometimes be down for days at time in various parts of the city. Also, these places are filled with a haze of smoke and Chinese screaming obscenities after they lost a game of Counter Strike or World of Warcraft.

All of the computers are in Chinese language, but still using windows so its relatively easy to use. You cannot print at Net bars. If you are looking to print something try going to a print or copy station &mdash; look for the Chinese characters 复印 (fuyin) or 打印 (dayin).

Phones
If you are looking to refill the minutes on your China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom SIM card, you might have trouble, as very few locations in the city sell the refill cards. In Harbin, you have to go to an actual store and pay the money to a teller to have your phone refilled and oftentimes you can refill out of town numbers at China Mobile or China Unicom Branches.

Shipping
DHL and UPS both deliver to Harbin but through Chinese shipping companies.

Cope
Harbin is known for its cruel winter weather. Be sure to have adequate clothing and protect the extremities. Gloves, thick socks, scarves, and ear protections are a must.

You can also get warm patches in some stores. Try to get some of these if you are going to spend more than a few hours outside. Most patches will last between 4 and 6 hours. Wear them under the clothes but not in direct contact with the skin.

If you are in Harbin for the long haul, try to get away to somewhere warm during the winter break such as Hainan or Thailand. Also, an excursion to Beijing is a must for anyone staying in Harbin for any considerable amount of time.