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Harbin |
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With a long history,
Harbin was the birthplace of Jin and Qing Dynasties. Over 40
nationalities (including Han Nationality) live in the area of Harbin.
In the early 20th century, Harbin was an international commercial and
trade city, boasting consulates of 16 countries, over 30 foreign
companies and more than 60,000 foreigners from 18 countries. In recent
years, Harbin has become the largest open city near the border in
northeast China. |
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Geography |
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Songhua River originates
from the Heavenly Lake in Changbai Mountains and makes a swift turn in
the southeast part of Heilongjiang Province. Thus, Harbin gradually
came into existence at 125°42′-130°10′ east longitude and
44°04′-46°41′ north latitude. If the map of Heilongjiang Province can
be regarded as a flying swan then Harbin looks just like a pearl under
its beautiful neck. There are 7 districts and 12 counties (cities) in
Harbin. With a total area of 53,166 square kilometers and a population
of 9.4623 million (3.2986 million in the city), Harbin is the largest
and most populous city among provincial capitals as well as the center
of politics, economy, science & technology, culture and transportation
in the northern part of northeast China. |
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Climate |
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Located in the Northern
Temperate Zone, Harbin has an annual precipitation of 462 mm while the
annual average temperature in the city proper is 4.3C°. the highest
monthly average temperature is 23.2C° and the lowest is 15.8C° below
zero. |
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Natural Ecological
Environment |
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With a temperate
continental climate, Harbin is rich in resources. It is one of the
most important agricultural areas in China. Noted for the high-quality
agricultural products such as rice, peas, and corn, Harbin also boasts
a large area of forest where there are many species of trees such as
Red Pine trees, larches, and birches and where rare animals such as
Manchurian tigers, bears and 40 species of birds can be found. In
addition, there are also wild economic plants in the mountainous areas
such as ginseng black agaric and mushrooms and dozens of minerals
underground such as cuprum, iron and coal. |
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Culture |
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Cultural activities in
Harbin are booming. The concert entitled "Summer of Harbin", first
held in 1961 and becoming a traditional event since then, has brought
Harbin a reputation of being a city of music. It is a grand national
music event co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Harbin
Municipal Government. The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin is
world-renowned. The art of making ice lanterns is one of the three
most famous ice and snow arts in the world. |
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A Survey of Tourist
Industry |
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Harbin
is a tourist city with special glamour in northern China. Lying to the
north of Changbai Mountains and south of Small Xing'an Mountains, with
Songhua River running across its middle part. There are 7 districts
and 12 counties (cities) in Harbin. It is the biggest city among
provincial capitals in China covering an area of 56,000 square
kilometers and with a total population of 9.6 million (3.8 million in
the city proper). As the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, it is
the center of politics, economy, science & technology, culture and
transportation in the northern part of northeast China. Harbin is
often poetically called "the pearl under the neck of swan".
With a reputation of being a tourist city, Harbin is full of strong
northern features. In the beginning of the 20th century when the
Zhongdong Railway was built, Harbin was the first open city to accept
modern civilization. At that time, Harbin was one of the embarkation
places for European culture, with consulates of 16 countries, over 30
foreign companies and large numbers of foreign immigrants (170,000 at
the highest). The influx of European culture can be seen in the
architectural style. Harbin then had the first skiing stadium, cinema
and tourist train in China, which has become part of the main body of
the city's culture, which is also represented by the pedestrian street
in the Central Avenue, St. Sofia Church and Stalin Park where the
Tower of Fighting Against Flood stands and the Sun Island where the
European buildings muster. Harbin is therefore called "Oriental
Moscow" and "Small Oriental Paris". Rich in tourist resources, Harbin
has various cultural forms such as the culture of Ice and Snow, the
culture of European style, the culture of forest, the culture of
Jinyuan and the folk-custom culture.
Tourist programs in Harbin are conspicuously different in winter and
summer. Of the three generally recognized tourist resources, ice and
snow, forest and ocean, Harbin is endowed with two, which makes it
incomparable to the other tourist cities in China. The Culture of Ice
and Snow is the most important tourist resource in Harbin. Every year,
the ice lanterns, snow sculpture, scenery of ice and snow and the
related entertainment programs attract millions of tourists from home
and abroad. Built in 1996, Yabuli Skiing Resort gave a boost to the
tourism of ice and snow, enriching the cultural implication of urban
tourism of the city. The skiing sport has become a trend of
consumption and a new way of recreation for both tourists and local
residents. As to the forest culture, the traditional scenic spot
Yuquan Hunting Ground, after several years' reform and rebuilding, has
become the largest enclosed hunting spot in Asia. The primitive
forests around Harbin are ideal for future forest tourism and hunting
tourism. |
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Architectural Style |
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The
urban architecture in Harbin is of special charm among the large
cities in China. The European structures, the traditional Chinese
classical structures as well as several modern structures make the
city a combination of Chinese and Western styles and give the city a
sense of a museum of architecture. Go to the Central Avenue and you
will see many structures of Gothic, baroque, eclecticism, neo-artistic
movement and post-modernism on both sides of this 100-year-old street,
whispering to you about its history and its people.
While in the city proper, you will find some traditional Chinese
buildings such as Harbin Ship Design Institute, Confucius Temple,
Friendship Palace, and the No.3 Middle School. Suppose you can see the
whole city from above, you will find many high buildings under your
feet. The residential neighborhoods have different characteristics and
the Sunshine Hall on the Hongbo Square is shining. The Songhua River
is like a colorful waving belt. The structures in Harbin are like
fixed musical notes, with the romance of medieval Europe, the elegance
of ancient China and the openness of the modern world. |
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Local Culture |
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Festival of Ice and Snow
Established on
January 5th, 1985, Festival of Ice and Snow in Harbin used to be a
cultural and sport festival. But now it has become a grand festival
including finance, economic trade, tourism, culture and sports.
Celebration of Ice Lamps in the Parks, the most important component,
has been held 25 times. The competition of snow sculpture and ice
sculpture is a display of the art of snow and ice.
The tourism of ice and snow in Harbin develops quickly and has been
included in the list of 35 key tourist attractions in China. The
beautiful Sun Island is selected as a nationally recommended tour
route, and the ice and snow tourism as special tour spot. Harbin has
established long-term business relationship with over 60 tourist
organizations and institutions in over 20 countries. The Festival of
Ice and Snow in Harbin will attract more and more tourists from all
over the world.
Concert of "Summer in Harbin"
It has
been 38 years since the first Concert of "Summer in Harbin" was held
in 1961. it has become a music gathering for the local people and
promoted the development of musical cause in Harbin. The 24th Concert
of "Summer in Harbin" was held jointly by the Ministry of Culture and
the People's Government of Harbin. Bearing in mind the efforts to
invigorating elegant art and promoting the national musical art, the
organizers have made great contributions to the development and
prosperity of China's musical art. The August in Harbin is an
enjoyable season. The Concert of "Summer in Harbin" also provides you
with great happiness. Harbin Committee of CPC, City Government and 9.6
million people warmly welcome the musical artists and groups to visit
Harbin to bring your talents into full play.
Harbin Economic and Trade Fair
Held from June
15 to June 21 each year, Harbin Economic and Trade Fair is one of the
large-scale regional fairs under the approval of the Ministry of
Foreign Trade and Economic cooperation. Initiated in 1990 and hosted
by provincial and Harbin governments, it is a comprehensive commercial
fair involving imports and exports. Each year, the business guests
from home and abroad will take part to pursue trade and economic
cooperation here. Located at the central part of northeast Asia,
Harbin is an important port for the trade with Russia. Harbin Economic
and Trade Fair has become a bridge to the market in Russia and other
CIS countries and will offer more opportunities for Chinese and
foreign businesses.
Heilongjiang International Skiing Festival
The unique snow
and ice natural resources, magnificent ice and snow sculpturing art
and various kinds of snow and ice related sports or relaxation of
Harbin City makes it a perfect resort for snow and ice related
activities. The Hei Long Jiang International Skiing Festival is
sponsored by China Tourism Bureau and the Governments of Hei Long
Jiang Province and Harbin City. Each festival will open on December 5
and end on January 5 next year. The opening ceremony is held in Ya Bu
Li Skiing Zone where you can see skiing shows, bonfire concerts,
skiing photographic exhibitions, tourist goods & souvenir exhibitions
skiing equipment exhibitions. At the same time, it is also a kind of
international trade fair and business negotiation as well as local
cuisine tasting festival.
Expo of Ice Lamps
he celebration
of ice lamps in the parks has been included in the list of 35 best
tourist attractions in China and becomes an important window of
displaying economic development and the people's material and
spiritual living conditions. It has strengthened the friendship
between local residents and foreign guests. The top leaders of China,
Jiang Zeming, Li Peng, Qiao Shi, Li Ruihuan, Tian Jiyun, Qian Qichen,
Li Tieying have visited here and sang their praises. Many foreign
leaders, diplomats and great numbers of compatriots from HK SAR, Macao
and Taiwan have come from afar to watch the ice lamps and snow. The
ice lamps create beautiful life and world. As an ambassador of
friendship and culture, the ice lamps in Harbin are worldly
recognized. More and more people in the world will arrive to
experience the unique charm of this famous art.
Celebration of Snow Sculpture in the Parks
Celebration of
Snow Sculpture is held annually in the parks. The city and castle made
of snow stand high and erect and command a magnificent view,
resembling items of silver and jade. These sculptures made by top
craftsmen and/or selected from the competitions at all levels have
different features, concrete or abstract, heavy or gentle, deformed of
strange, penetrating or thrilling.
Ice Sailing Boat
Ice sailing
boat first made its appearance in 1954. equipped with a sail and a
rudder, the boat can carry 4 to 5 persons at a speed of 30 kilometers
per hour. Because of its flexibility, unique shape, and brand new
form, the domestic and foreign tourists like very much to take this
colorful boat.
The Art of Ice Lanterns in Harbin
The art of ice
lanterns in Harbin is famous at home and abroad. The artists create
objects of different shapes with ice such as palaces, bridges,
mountains, and waterfalls. In the daytime, the ice lanterns are
crystals of various forms. At night, these lanterns become colorful
mountains and pavilions. Since these ice lanterns are different each
year, they are reputed as "Fairy World".
Winter Swimming in Harbin
Winter Swimming
is a quite popular sport in Harbin. The swimmers do swimming in the
icy water in winter while the other people look on wearing thick
clothes. Combining bodybuilding and performance, winter swimming is,
in a sense, a combat against the chilly weather. Therefore, many
tourists consider it as an incredible sport by brave people.
The Folk Customs
Many ethnic
groups live in Harbin. Man, Korean and Hui take the majority in the
ethnic groups. Heilongjiang province is the birthplace of Man People
who have many traditional rites. The cheongsam of Man People is
popular nationwide. The annual celebration of ice lamps in the parks
originates from the Man people's custom of watching ice lamps on
January 15 of the lunar year. Korean People have their own customs in
daily life. They are good at sports, singing and dancing. Hui People
use Chinese language but believe in Islam. Their new-birth babies will
get a name from a priest. After they die, they will be cleaned and
wrapped with white cloth. They never eat pork and meat of horse,
donkey and dog as well as animal blood and animals of natural death.
Each year they celebrate three festivals. |
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 Geography Climate Natural Ecological Environment Culture A Survey of Tourist Industry Local and Culture Shopping
Architectural Style Transportation
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 Information
provided by China National
Tourism Administration. |
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