About Harbin

Location: located between 45 45’ north latitude and 126 38’ east longitude; at the southwest of Heilongjiang province; at the bank of the Songhuajiang River; in Southern Songnen Plain. As one of the largest cities in northeast China, Harbin enjoys an ideal geographic location convenient for all means of transportation to and from the city. What's more, Harbin is also one of China's gateways into vast Siberia, Russia and northeast Asia.

Flying to Harbin: Besides convenient air connections with the majority of China's important cities, Harbin has regular flights to cities in Russia, South Korea, and Japan.

Flights to & from	Flying Time
Beijing	2 hrs
Shanghai	2.5 hrs
Guangzhou	4 hrs
Chengdu	5.5 hrs
Tianjing	3 hrs
Seoul	3 hrs
Nigata	3 hrs

By Train to Harbin: Harbin is the second largest Railway hub in northeast China after Shenyang. Numerous trains depart and arrive at Harbin everyday. From Harbin, direct trains runs to Dalian, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Changchun, Tianjin and Shenyang. There are also express trains to other provincial destinations in Heilongjiang such as Jiamusi, Qiqihar, Suihuan and Mudanjiang. There are two major train stations in Harbin; Harbin Main Station and East Harbin Station. Most of the inter-provincial trains use Harbin Station in the northeast of the city on Tielu Jie.You should be able to get to the station in a taxi from most places in the city. The main train ticketing center is in the train station (Train information tel: 6420115). Harbin has a telephone reservation center(Tel:3602828),that you can call to book train tickets.

By Bus to Harbin: Because of the remote location of Harbin,, it is not easy to travel to and from central China to Harbin by bus. However, regular buses link the city with other provincial capitals such as Changchun and Shenyang. There is also access by bus from here to Mudanjiang, Jiamusi, Daqing and Hegang.

Travelling in City by Taxi: Harbin boasts an established public transportation system. There are over one hundred public bus routes connecting all important spots across the city. The best way to travel by bus is to pick up a local map with all the updated bus routes and schedules as soon as you get to the city. The easiest way to get around is by taxi, there are thousands of taxis on the streets of Harbin,and it should not cost more than RMB20 to reach most destinations across the city.

Shopping in Harbin: Compared with cities in places south of Dongbei, Harbin has fewer local products to brag about, most probably due to the harsh weather here that makes most goods pretty hard to grow. Seafood is a popular local specialty and rare fish abound around these parts including dog salmon and sturgeon, which over the years have accustomed to the freezing winter and seem to be thriving! Monkey-Head Mushroom is little known in the west, but has long been deemed a delicacy for its curative effects. Sausage is popular with ordinary households, an influence perhaps of the Russian history here. Clothes made from Marten (a tiny weasel-like animal) are common here, available at lower prices than in the west. A wide selection of herbal medicines (many of which are becoming pretty popular in the west) are made here. Pilose antler (Lurong) is the Chinese version of Viagra!! Tiger bone is said to relieve pain suffered with rheumatism.

Dining Out: The colonial influence in Harbin is evident in much of the city's cuisine and eating here is a very different experience from dining elsewhere in China or indeed in the province. For starters, the exterior of the restaurants is pretty unique. Lanterns hang outside each restaurant, each denoting different characteristics about the food and facilities available. Red lanterns denote a typical Chinese place and blue lanterns indicate that the restaurant serves Muslim food (no pork). What's more, the greater the number of lanterns hanging outside, the higher the standard of cooking and accordingly, the larger the size of your bill! The actual dishes available in many places is also unusual. Exotic animals such as deer, bear and tiger were once an integral part of the diet here. Fortunately Beijing have made their disapproval of this kind of thing clear in recent years, and Bear Paw and Siberian Tiger Testicles are no longer as popular as they once were. In accordance with the historical influence, Russian styles are used abundantly in the preparation of most dishes. Stroganoff and caviar are also available in a few places, including the Huamei Restaurant. For more typical Harbin food, check out the Futailou Restaurant, serving good fish soups and some of the city's more exotic dishes. The Beilaishun Restaurant is an authority on Muslim dishes (note the plethora of blue lanterns suspended from outside). The Laodu Yichu Dumpling Restaurant, is one of the few places in town serving authentic dongbei dumplings.

Sightseeing: The city has been through some really rough times in recent history, from turbulent wars and despotic regimes to some of the worst flooding ever witnessed. Many of the sights in and around Harbin reflect this, of particular interest being the twin sad sights of the Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base just out of town and the Stalin Park/Flood Control Monument on the southern bank of the Songhua river. However the city has also known good times and the Russian architecture here is testament to a period when the town, also known as Little Moscow, was in economic boom. The best of these sights would have to be the St. Sofia Orthodox Church, which is located in the nicest area of town, the northwestern Daoli District with its cobbled streets and solid facades. In terms of fun, the best sight to visit in the city proper would have to be the Sun Island Recreation Resort, which, besides relaxation, also houses the Siberia Tiger Park, designed to cultivate and then release these beautiful, endangered beasts back to the wild. There is also the Jile Temple, one of the four largest Buddhist temples in northeast China. Out of town are the more active sights, and many coming to Harbin are here for the skiing or hunting. Harbin boasts China's largest and most well-facilitated skiing region, the Yabuli Ski Resort, which hosted the 1996 Asian Winter Games. For those without animal killing qualms, winter is also the ideal time for trying your luck and spending your money at the Yuquan Hunting Ground.

Climatic Features: located in the temperate zone; continental climate; long winters and short summers

Local Highlights: ginseng, edible fungus, mushroom, sculpture of ice and snow

For more information about Harbin, please visit Travel China Guide.