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Harbin Ice & Snow World
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…
Getty Images/AWL Images RM
Harbin
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.
Cars (and even bicycles) are barred from the timeworn cobbles of Zhongyang Dajie, the main drag of the city's historic quarter, where the densest cluster of Harbin’s old buildings can be found.
The city’s sights are as varied as the architectural styles on the old street. Temples, churches and synagogues coexist, while deep in the southern suburbs a former Japanese germ-warfare base is a sobering reminder of less harmonious times.
Harbin’s Russian and Jewish heritage is best explored during summer wanderings under blue skies, but winter is when Harbin really heats up, as travelers rug up to visit a neon-clad, subzero theme park created entirely from ice.
Explore Harbin
- HHarbin Ice & Snow World
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…
- Church of St Sophia
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…
- ZZhongyang Dajie
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…
- JJapanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base
This museum is set in the notorious Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base (Division 731). Between 1939 and 1945, prisoners of war and civilians were…
- Harbin Main Synagogue
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…
- SSun Island Scenic Area
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…
- TTemple of Bliss
Heilongjiang’s largest temple complex has an active Buddhist community in residence, giving it a genuine religious atmosphere despite the ticket sales…
- HHarbin New Synagogue
This synagogue was built in 1921 by the city's Jewish community, the vast majority of whom had emigrated from Russia. Beautifully restored and converted…
- HHarbin Culture Park
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…
Latest Stories from Harbin
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Harbin.
See
Harbin Ice & Snow World
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…
See
Church of St Sophia
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…
See
Zhongyang Dajie
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…
See
Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base
This museum is set in the notorious Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base (Division 731). Between 1939 and 1945, prisoners of war and civilians were…
See
Harbin Main Synagogue
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…
See
Sun Island Scenic Area
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…
See
Temple of Bliss
Heilongjiang’s largest temple complex has an active Buddhist community in residence, giving it a genuine religious atmosphere despite the ticket sales…
See
Harbin New Synagogue
This synagogue was built in 1921 by the city's Jewish community, the vast majority of whom had emigrated from Russia. Beautifully restored and converted…
See
Harbin Culture Park
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…
Featured videos
Colorful festivals you can't miss in 2020
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Guidebooks
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