Harbin

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China, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin. Ice sculptures at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.

Getty Images/AWL Images RM

Overview

Home to the wondrous Harbin Ice & Snow Festival, and the world's largest indoor ski facility, the capital of Heilongjiang (哈尔滨; Hā’ěrbīn), located on the Songhua River, is a stylish city and a highlight of any trip through Dongbei.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Church of St Sophia

Harbin

The red-brick Russian Orthodox Church of St Sophia, with its distinctive green onion dome and roosting pigeons, is Harbin’s most famous landmark. Built in…
Harbin Ice & Snow World

Harbin

The signature venue for Harbin's winter-long Ice & Snow Festival is the main reason that both domestic and international travellers chase the cold weather…
Zhongyang Dajie

Harbin

The cobblestone avenue of Zhongyang Dajie is the most obvious legacy of Russia's involvement with Harbin. Now a pedestrian-only zone running from Jingwei…
Harbin Main Synagogue

Harbin

The beautiful old Main Synagogue, built in 1909, has been refurbished as a concert venue. You can buy tickets on-site to a variety of musical performances…
Sun Island Scenic Area

Harbin

Across the water from Stalin Park is Sun Island, a 38-sq-km recreational zone with landscaped gardens, a ‘water world’, a ‘Russian-style’ town, and…
Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base

Harbin

This museum is set in the notorious Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base (Division 731). Between 1939 and 1945, prisoners of war and civilians were…
St Alexeevsky Church

Harbin

Built in 1935, this attractive red-brick Orthodox church isn't as photogenic as Harbin's landmark Church of St Sophia, but it still functions (as a…
Harbin Culture Park

Harbin

If culture equals amusement, then the creators of this park have certainly ticked all the right boxes. The 110m high Ferris wheel offers panoramic views…