Historic places in Harbin

Historic places in Harbin

1. Buy

   Churin

   秋林公司

   Founded in 1900 as part of a Russian department store chain, Churin is an icon of Harbin. The company’s main branch on Dongdazhi Street is now a cross between a traditional department store and a modern shopping center, that is to say there is a mixture of shops owned by Churin and shops owned by other companies. The underground floor sells the most famous red sausage and lieba (列吧, the big Russian bread). Also do remember to try the non-alcoholic drink brewed from lieba, Da Lieba Gewasi (大列巴格瓦斯). If you’re interested in Churin’s history, you should head to the staircase in the middle of the building where some old photos are displayed on the walls. If you climb to the top floor, you can also view a small collection of antiques acquired by the company over the years.

2. See

   Harbin Jewish New Synagogue

   哈尔滨犹太新会堂 Hā'ěrbīn Yóutài Xīnhuìtáng

   Has been restored and contains an impressive collection detailing the history of Jews in Harbin. There were 20,000 at one point and the synagogue is well worth a visit. Further up Tong Jiang Jie is the old synagogue that is now a youth hostel and cafe, with the old Jewish school next door -both worth a detour to look at from the outside.

   ¥25

3. 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)

4. Drink

   Luyu Cafe

   鹿鱼咖啡

   This is a good place to relax and escape the crowds or to warm up on a cold winter day. Situated in a historic Russian building right next to Zhongyang street, the warm atmosphere and nicely decorated surroundings, combined with a creative coffee blend from the friendly owner, will let you forget that you're in a city with a population of 10 million.

   ¥30

5. See

   St. Sophia Cathedral

   圣索非亚教堂 Shèngsuǒfēiyà Jiàotáng

   One of the few still standing Orthodox churches in the city. It is now converted into a Harbin Museum of Architecture. Inside there are exhibitions of many photographs from old times. Definitely worth going into, however, if you are used to European Churches do not expect the quality.

   ¥20

6. See

   The Liao & Jin History Museum of Heilongjiang

   黑龙江辽金历史博物馆

   As the name indicates, this museum focuses on the history of the Liao and Jin dynasties. It is said to contain over 10,000 artefacts.

   Closed · opens 9:30 am·¥60

7. See Not mapped

   Huining Fu

   A few kilometres south of Acheng centre, you'll find the ruins of, the capital of the 12th century Jin dynasty. It's been declared a national historic reserve, and apart from the ruined city walls there's a museum on the site as well.

8. See Not mapped

   Russian Buildings

   Harbin's old quarter, which covers a wide area of the city near the Songhua River, is still today mostly made up of buildings that were constructed by the Russians at the turn of the 19th century. Most of them are built in baroque or byzantine style with spires and cupolas and interesting shades of yellow, white, green, or red. While St. Sophia is known as the main architectural attraction to the city, areas of the city such as Harbin's old quarter are made up of buildings that have been left untouched since the Russians left. While most of these streets are fairly decrepit and in need of repair, at least the area has been free from the wrecking ball like many other historical districts in China. Only because Harbin has yet to attract the world's investment.

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