We spent last weekend in Harbin, a city located in China’s northern Manchuria region. We went there to attend the city’s renowned ice festival, but in the process, signed up for the full weekend package, which included trips to see the area’s snow sculptures, tiger reserve, indoor arctic-themed park, polar swimmers, and lovely Russian architecture.
One of the most striking things when arriving in Harbin is how much it looks and feels like a Russian city. Its centerpiece is St. Sophia, a former orthodox church, now the “Construction Art Museum”. Nearby is Zhong Yang Street, a pedestrian walkway that – minus the Chinese characters – would lead one to believe he was walking on Moscow’s Old Arbat Street.
The Russians came to Harbin in the 1890’s to extend the Trans-Siberian railway from Vladivostok. The city quickly became the center of their Manchurian activities and workers arrived en masse. Though the country’s influence weakened after its failed war with Japan in 1905, Russians continued to flock to the area – including refugees fleeing the revolution. Our guide told us that by the 1930’s a third of the city’s population were foreign. The city’s Russian period ended after World War II, when the Soviet Army liberated Manchuria from the Japanese and returned it to Chinese sovereignty.
Signs of Harbin’s northern neighbor go beyond the city’s beautiful architecture. I was surprised at the huge, illuminated sign in Russian as we entered the city that said, “Harbin Greets you,” as well as multiple shops boasting Russian goods for sale. Our guide informed us that many Russian woman are choosing to relocate to Harbin in search of Chinese husbands “because they work harder and drink less” than their Russian counterparts. And the souvenirs we saw around town – fur hats, nesting dolls, and chocolate bars – were all from Russia, versus China.
I first visited Harbin in 1988 with two friends. We had been working in Siberia and departed for home via China. Without much of a plan, we bought train tickets in the city of Irkutsk, Russia that terminated in Harbin. At that time, there were many more Russian-style buildings, though quite a few were boarded up and in desperate need of repair. It was at this time that I first heard about the city’s famed ice festival.
Twenty two years later, I returned with my family. Our guide confirmed that much of the architecture I had enjoyed nearly a quarter century ago had been destroyed, which isn’t surprising given the rate at which older Chinese buildings have been demolished in cities across the country over the last twenty years. Despite this, however, in the 1990’s, the city launched a major initiative to restore the buildings around St. Sophia and on Zhong Yang Road. The effect is charming as the Russian tradition lives on in Harbin.
Stay tuned for more on Harbin.