Free things to do in Harbin

Free things to do in Harbin

1. See

   Flood Control Monument

   防洪胜利纪念塔 Fánghóng Shènglì Jìniàn Tǎ

   Built in 1958 to commemorate the successful defense against the 1957 Songhua River flood. The 22.5-meter-tall tower features a circular platform with relief sculptures. It marks the northern end of Central Avenue and is a popular spot for riverside views.

   24 hours·Free

2. See

   Harbin Confucius Temple

   哈尔滨文庙

   This Confucius temple is one of the largest of its kind in northeast China. The Heilongjiang Museum of Nationalities can be found inside the temple.

   08ː30-16ː30, closed on Wednesdays·Free

3. See

   Heilongjiang Art Museum

   黑龙江省美术馆

   A provincial art museum founded in 1962, housed in a three-story European-style building from the 19th century. Its collection focuses on modern and contemporary Chinese art, especially woodblock prints from the Beidahuang and Heilongjiang schools. The museum also holds a significant collection of Russian oil paintings.

   09ː00-16ː00·Free

4. See

   Heilongjiang Provincial Museum

   黑龙江省博物馆 Hēilóngjiāngshěng Bówùguǎn

   A comprehensive museum housing Heilongjiang's history, nature, and art collections. Permanent exhibitions include "Heilongjiang Historical Relics," "Natural History," and the "Harbin Past — Early 20th Century Social Life" exhibition, which recreates scenes of the city a century ago. Built in 1922, the museum is a landmark of Harbin.

   October 8th to March 31st: 9AM-4PM; April 1st to October 7th: 9AM-4:30PM·Free (but remember to bring your ID)

5. See

   Northeast China Revolutionary Martyrs’ Memorial Hall

   东北烈士纪念馆

   During the Japanese occupation, this building was used as the Harbin police headquarters of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. It played a pivotal role in the suppression of all those opposed to Japanese rule. A number of prominent Chinese patriots were imprisoned and tortured here. In 1946, about one year after the Japanese surrender, Harbin came under the control of the Communist Party of China, and the Party decided to turn this place into a martyrs’ memorial. The memorial opened in 1948. Today it has exhibitions on 162 individuals who died fighting the Japanese and 118 individuals who died during the Chinese Civil War.

   Free

6. See

   Songhua River Bridge

   Built in 1900, this bridge was the first bridge across the Songhua river in Harbin and has served the railway system for more than 100 years. In 2016, with the opening of a new bridge nearby, it was converted into a pedestrian bridge for visitors.

   free

7. See

   Songhua River Railway Bridge

   松花江铁路桥

   Built in 1900, this was the first bridge across the Songhua River in Harbin and served the railway system for over 100 years. In 2016, with the opening of a new bridge nearby, it was converted into a pedestrian bridge. It offers excellent views of the river and the city skyline.

   24 hours·Free

8. See

   Sun Island

   太阳岛 Tàiyángdǎo

   Park offering a pleasant to stroll during the warmer months and on the weekends newly married couples can be seen taking pictures. In the winter it becomes part of the snow sculpture festivities. However, as with everything in Harbin, the park is still very Chinese with a cage full of squirrels, a petting deer area (just have to buy them some food), go carts, a pond that is just full of turtles, and newly weds sporting bright colored dresses.

   Closed · opens 8 am·Free

9. See

   Unit 731 Museum

   侵华日军第七三一部队罪证陈列馆 Qīnhuá Rìjūn Dì Qī Sān Yāo Bùduì Zuìzhèng Chénlièguǎn

   A museum at the site of a former bio-chemical weapons research and testing facility built by the Japanese army during World War II and used to perform experiments on over 10,000 civilians and POWs. The museum tells the story of these individuals. The displays are very extensive with detailed information in both Chinese and English, though you may struggle to see everything due to the very large number of people that typically visit the museum. After looking around the museum, you may then visit the actual buildings where Unit 731 carried out its notorious research, including the main administration building and the burnt-out remains of the prison facilities.

   09:00-17:30 (April 15 to October 15); 09:00-16:30 (October 16 to April 14); last entry is one hour before closing time; the museum is completely closed on Mondays·Free

10. See

    Zhongyang Dajie

    中央大街 Zhōngyāng Dàjiē; lit. Central Avenue

    This cobblestone lined street is a pedestrian only street that could serve as a perfect remnant of the bustling international business activities at the turn of the 20th century. The 1.4-km long street is a veritable museum of European architectural styles, including Baroque and Byzantine façades, Jewish architectural wonders, a Russian restaurant, French fashion houses (Fake Chinese Brands), American snack food outlets (Mcdonalds and KFC and a Chinese owned "American Bar"), and a Japanese restaurant. In winter, one can walk out onto the ice or take a dog sledge or horse sledge ride. It is the prettiest site in Harbin as far as the city itself is concerned, however, if you go mid-day during the weekend be prepared to push through the crowds.

    Pretty much closes by 22:00 (weekend nights included)·Free

11. See

    Heilongjiang Science and Technology Museum

    黑龙江省科学技术馆

    1458 Taiyang Avenue, Songbei District (松北区太阳大道1458号)

    09ː00-16ː00, closed on Mondays·Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Harbin (CC BY-SA 4.0).