Where will I go through Customs and Immigration?

My personal experience (with Air China) was as follows. I checked into my flight in Montreal going to Nanjing via Beijing. My luggage was tagged to Nanjing. In Beijing I passed immigration and then security directly to my domestic gate. I never even entered the main hall. In Nanjing I picked up my luggage like all other passengers.
When I checked in in Montreal, they made me sign the back of the luggage tag. It said something like I was mandating air China to clear customs on my behalf and I had nothing to declare.

OK, I see what you mean now by "preclearance." I've never had that option. My experiences with CZ all started the international segment from within Asia. Maybe your experience is something applicable to specific airports and to Air China? I guess OP will just have to roll with the punches and see how it's going to be handled.

" I have never been on an international-to-domestic connection on CZ where one could avoid Customs".

Similar to what is described in #7, without having to sign a baggage tag, I've passed through Guangzhou many times on the way to (and from) Nanning on CS, and for the last 4 or 5 years, our bags are automatically forwarded to the domestic flight from our flight from LAX. However, on international arrival, you still do need to walk through the customs gate on the way to the domestic departure gate.

After clearing immigration, you will go down an escalator to the baggage claim area, walk through baggage claim, then through customs, but do not exit left into the terminal. Follow the transit signs and continue walking straight to an up escalator to go up one level, where you will pass through transit security, then continue on to a small shuttle which will take you from the A gate area to the domestic B gate area - much better than walking and having to pass through the B gate domestic security lines to get to the gate. Note that if your layover was more than 4 hours you can make use of the CS transit lounge located near where this shuttle lets you off. Baggage will be transferred without passenger involvement, but I do highly recommend that you confirm this with the agent when checking in for the international flight and visually look for CAN and HRB on the luggage tags.

Should you have to pick up your luggage and walk it through Customs, there is a transit desk where you can check the bags for your domestic flight just a little ways straight ahead after you walk through the customs gate.

OK- so at check-in in Melbourne my bags were checked thru to Harbin.

When I arrived in Guangzhou it was quick and easy to pass thru Immigration. My Carry-on bag was scanned.

My big bag continued on unchecked (?) to Harbin where I collected it.

There was a sign saying 5000 RMB fine for people found trying to take a cigarette lighter onto a plane!

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