LETS GO FIND SOME ICE!!!

LETS GO FIND SOME ICE!!!

First let’s talk about Harbin

Harbin, the renowned 'Ice City', is located in the south of Heilongjiang Province, this is the most northeastern part of China and some say it has the shape of a swan when viewed on a map. Harbin is the center of Heilongjiang's political, economic, educational and cultural life, Harbin is described as the pearl beneath the swan's neck. Driving in yesterday, we could see how Harbin plays a vital role in communications between South and North Asia as well the regions of Europe and the Pacific Ocean. It is a vibrant city with all the hustle and bustle. 


Before I visit a city, I find it  useful to know at least a little of its history. Harbin was the birthplace of Jin (1115-1234) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, the latter of which had a very considerable influence on modern Chinese history. At the end of the 19th century, Russia built the terminus of the Middle East Railway here. Later, more than 160,000 foreigners from 33 countries migrated to this place, promoting the development of a capitalist economy in the city. I did notice a few buildings with Russian writing above the doors.

Each winter, vast numbers of visitors flock to this city and the city has adapted itself to meet the needs of this great influx of tourists. Convenient transportation by air makes the journey easy. A train would have been fun, however ticketing was an issue, as explained in yesterdays blog entry. To me, the city has a cosmopolitan feel based on the quality of the lodgings. As I said yesterday reservation should be made well in advance. I made our hotel reservation at 11 months and the options were limited, granted we are here on a weekend which is more crowded.

We were up early and we poked our heads out for a temperature check. Yep it is cold but not that cold, in our opinion, local weather says -10F.

The Shangra-La Hotel Harbin has definitely earned it’s 5 star rating. The breakfast buffet was vast and the quality well above excellent. Many Asian and Western choices were to be had, and the BBQ Pork steam buns were excellent.

We met our guide Fianna in the lobby of our hotel and we were off to visit St. Sophia Cathedral. Sadly, the interior is under restoration and is currently closed. 

St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East. It is 53.3 meters (175 feet) high and occupies an area of 721 square meters (0.18 acres). In November, 1996, it was listed as one of the Key Cultural Relics under State Protection. Half a year later, the city government repaired it and renamed it as Harbin Art Gallery.

Next we had a short ride to see the Harbin Swim Show. Here a swimming pool sized hole is cut into the ice and kept open with a bubbler. The swim show is simply a group of people who dive into this pool and swim a lap to a ladder and get out. The swimmers do get the crowd going letting you feel the water temp. There was one 76 year old Russian lady who was the belle of the show. Remember the temp is about 1 degree F. 

 

76 Years old and having a fun time

                               KODA I GOT AN IDEA

We walk along the river to the Ropeway, past many many snowmen sculptures. This year there are 2,020 snowmen in Harbin and next year there will be 2,021. Each is different and unique in its own right.  

In Harbin, there is a Ropeway which crosses the Songhua River. Well, ropeway is the local name, it is actually a cable car. We ride it over to Sun Island. This gives us a good view of the city and a chance to see the many activities going on along the river. 

Getting off the Cable Car, we walk to the Russian Style Town. Located in the Sun Island Scenic Area, Russian-style Town is a Russian-themed tourist spot.  The town retains a few dozen Russian-style villas and private residences. You can walk into these buildings for a visit. Sometimes, you might even meet Mandarin-speaking Russians, who will be happy to explain the household furnishings and decorations. The entrance tickets are designed in the form of a commemorative passport. You can bring this passport to each of the cabins, and affix a stamp to it for remembrance. In addition, each of the many cabins sport a different theme. For instance, the "A Hundred Years of Time" cabin has a collection of timepieces, while the cabin named "A Hundred Years of Sound" contains a collection of old music records.  This was a good place to learn about the early Russians who came to this area with the railway.  It was interesting that each building had a fire fighting cabinet stocked with fire gear this along with several out side racks with shovel, Pulaski’s and buckets. 

We made our way to Central  Street. Here we had lunch at the King of Dumplings. Fianna said this is the home of the best dumplings in all of Harbin, and it did not disappoint. We feasted on shrimp, pork, and beef dumplings and a BBQ pork shank. We were stuffed and ready to walk Central Street.  

Known as the “Eastern Moscow”, Harbin is a unique and exotic city. The most vibrant place in Harbin is Central Street, known as Zhongyang Dajie in Chinese. “Central Street” would be a good place to first experience Harbin. This long corridor of European architectural art is the pride of every local in this city.

The construction of this street began in 1898. It was called the Chinese Street at its early age and gained its present name in the late 1920s. Originally, the street was opened up by carts used to transport railway supplies. In May, 1924, the Central Street was floored with square stones according to a Russian engineer's design. Since then it has become a rendezvous of numerous foreign shops, hotels, and bars. Russian leather, British woolen cloth, French perfume, German medicine and plenty more can be found in this fashionable street. In 1997, Harbin government appointed the street as a pedestrian street, which added greater charm to this enchanting location.

With a total length of 1,450 meters (1,586 yards), the Central Street reflects a variety of European style buildings. In total, there are 71 works, some of which are replicas reflecting the European style of architecture. Examples of the Renaissance through to the Baroque Period as well as the Eclecticism to the Modern School can be seen in some buildings.

The present Jiaoyu Bookstore (Education Bookstore) is the biggest form of Baroque architecture in Harbin, the mark of the Central Street. The Mod-Er Hotel (formerly the Modern Hotel) and the Daoliqiulin Shop, built in 1906 and 1919 respectively, are fine examples of Art Nouveau architecture. The Fuer Shop (Women and Children's Shop) in 1917 was the former Xiehe Bank. This building reflects classic Renaissance architecture.

I felt Central Street is a junction where both Harbin's modern and historical civilizations can be seen. It interprets the city perfectly and has witnessed the most brilliant European cultural developments.

Then off to see:

China's largest and most intact buildings in the "Chinese Baroque" architectural style favored in northeast China's Heilongjiang province have been renovated and will open to tourists at the beginning of 2014.

These works of architecture, located in Daowai District of Harbin city, capital of Heilongjiang, are a combination of the Baroque style and Chinese elements such as crane and peony designs.

Built about a century ago (1914-1920) and covering a district of about 300,000 square meters, the buildings adopt Western baroque style for their exterior design, while retaining the traditional layout of Chinese courtyards inside.

The renovations started in 2007. As well as being open to tourists, some of the buildings are expected to be used as commercial districts, according to the housing security and real estate management bureau of Harbin. 

I almost forgot, I must talk about the bread of Harbin.
When we were on Central Street we purchased some Russian Chocolate and Harbin Bread. Locally it is called “lieba” (the Russian chljeb ‘bread’), a large round bread baked with beer yeast. Actually, this type of bread has become the symbol of Harbin cuisine.
Lieba is big, hard and sour, and some even ask if it is bread. But with lieba, you can trace the origin of Harbin, the culture and the people, and learn to get along with them. It is bread which is as big as a pot lid.
The bread is made from simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt and hops. Qiulin is the Chinese rendering of the name of a Russian man who established this company. When the Russians built the Middle East Railway in Harbin in 1898, they brought their way of life to the fishing villages of northern China. It was then that a Russian businessman, Ivan Churin, introduced the art of making lieba to Harbin. So far, through the efforts of generations of Russian and Chinese lieba makers, this traditional family art, though already lost in Russia, has been completely and originally preserved in this northern city of China.
Baked with firewood gives it a nice taste, so bread and soup were our dinner before we retired for the night. I  think I might just have to add some beer to my next batch of bread.

Thanks for following along and sharing this journey.