Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Harbin (China). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Saint Sophia Cathedral, Long Ta, and Jile Temple. Also, be sure to include Church of the Intercession in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Harbin (Heilongjiang).
Table of Contents
Saint Sophia Cathedral
Also known as: 圣索菲亚教堂
Russian Orthodox church, now a museum. The Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God or Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin is a former Russian Orthodox church located in the central district of Daoli, Harbin City, Heilongjiang, China.[1]
Address: 88 Toulong St, Harbin
Long Ta
Also known as: 龙塔
Tower in Harbin, China. Dragon Tower, also known as Long Ta or Heilongjiang Tower, is a 336 m tall multi-purpose Chinese steel lattice television and observation tower. The Long Ta is used for television broadcasting; telecommunication, transmitting FM-/TV-broadcasting throughout the province of Heilongjiang; for observation, providing a view of the surrounding areas of city. The tower has observation decks and buffet restaurants. It has a AAAA rating.
Dragon Tower is 336 m (1,102 ft) and is the fourth tallest freestanding lattice tower in the world, second tallest in Asia and tallest in China. The tower has an antenna at 335.89 m (1,102 ft) and a top floor at 216.10 m (709 ft).[2]
Address: 长江路178号 | 178 Changjiang Rd., Harbin
Jile Temple
Also known as: 极乐寺
Buddhist temple in Harbin, China. Jile Temple of Harbin, China, is the biggest Buddhist building complex in Heilongjiang and was constructed between 1921 and 1924. The grounds cover 53,500 square metres and the buildings 5,186 square metres. It is located at No. 5 East Dazhi Street, Nangang Dist. in Harbin.[3]
Address: Dong Dazhi Jie 9, Harbin
Church of the Intercession
Also known as: 哈尔滨圣母帡幪教堂
Church in Harbin, China. The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in Harbin is an Eastern Orthodox church in Harbin, China.
This church is located in the "church street", north east of "Hongbo Square" (where St. Nicolas' Central Church used to be), on East Dazhi Avenue, where there are also Harbin Nangang Christian Church (Protestant) and Sacred Heart Cathedral of Harbin (Catholic).
The Church of the Intercession, formerly also called the Ukrainian Church in Harbin, is currently the only Orthodox Church in Harbin, and indeed in all of mainland China, open to Chinese nationals for regular worship.
Its brief history is as follows:
- In 1902, a prayer house was built in the Russian cemetery.
- In 1922, as the China Eastern Railway was being built, the Russians built a wooden church building at the site of current church.
- In 1930, the China Eastern Railway donated the present stone church building. The architect was Tidanov.
- Until 1947, the congregation was composed predominantly of Ukrainians who had fled east from the Russian Revolution in 1917.
- In 1958, during Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, as the Chinese-Soviet relationship soured, the Russians and Ukrainians left China, forcing discontinuance of the church activities.
- On 14 October 1984, coinciding with the church's patron saint's feast day, the restoration of the temple was finally completed, and it reopened for worship services, conducted by Father Gregory Zhu Shipu, who served at the church from its re-opening until his passing in 2000, leaving the temple without a permanent rector for fifteen years, until the installation of recently-ordained Father Alexander Yu Shi, whose first mass was the Orthodox Easter Service on April 18, 2016
Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral
Also known as: 东大直街耶稣圣心主教座堂
Catholic church in Harbin, China. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic church in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Its official name is Sacred Heart of Jesus Diocesan Cathedral of Harbin.[5]
Harbin Nangang Christian Church
Also known as: 大直街德国路德会教堂
Church in Harbin, China. Harbin Nangang Christian Church is a Protestant church in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. The current building was built in 1916 and is located in Church Street, along East Dazhi Avenue, northeast of Hongbo Square. Its address is: No. 252, East Dazhi Avenue, Nangang District, Harbin. The church is next to the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Intercession and is almost identical in color to the Orthodox church beside it, with the same red walls and green roofs.[6]
Harbin Normal University
Harbin Normal University is a university located in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.
HNU has 27 Schools and Departments and offers 77 academic majors. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees. It is a key university of Heilongjiang and is under direct administration of Heilongjiang Province Department of Education. Its predecessor was Hsing-chih Normal School which was named after T'ao Hsing-chih-a famous educationist, and founded in 1946 by the Communist Party of China.
HNU has a decent educational condition and strong faculty, it covers 3.46 million square meters land, has a building area of 150.1 square meters, a total value of 2.435 billion yuan in fixed assets, and teaching and research equipment worth 2.5 billion yuan.
HNU adheres to open education, engaging in comprehensive international communications, and has already built up intimate relationship of educational technology cooperation and academic exchange with more than 70 higher education institutions from 20-odd countries. Three Confucius Institute have been set up by HNU.
Daejin University, a South Korean private university, operates one of its two China campuses on the university grounds, with the other campus located at Soochow University in Suzhou. Daejin maintains its own building with accommodation and classrooms. also Yu Wenxia Miss World 2012 completed a four-year course in Folk Music in this university.[7]
Daowai Mosque
Also known as: 道外清真寺
Mosque in Harbin, China. The Daowai Mosque or Harbin Mosque is a mosque in Daowai District, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest mosque in Heilongjiang.[8]
Heilongjiang University
Also known as: 黑龙江大学
University in Harbin, China. University of Heilongjiang is a national university in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China.
The university was established in March 1941, in the base of China's communist revolution, Yan'an. It dates back to the Russian Language Group, Number 3 school-level division, Chinese Military and Politics University of the Anti-Japanese invasion (Chinese: 中国抗日军政大学第三分校俄文队; pinyin: Zhōngguó Kàngrì Jūnzhèng Dàxué dì Sān Fēnxiào Éwén Duì), an institute dedicated to the training of military translators.[9]
Northeast Forestry University
Also known as: 东北林业大学
Higher educational institution in Harbin, China. Northeast Forestry University, located in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, is an institution of higher education and research under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. It serves as the largest forestry university in China and a key university within the scope of the national "Double First Class University Plan" and former "211 Project." It is a Chinese state Double First Class University, identified by the Ministry of Education.[10]
Harbin Engineering University
Also known as: 哈尔滨工程大学
University in Harbin, China. Harbin Engineering University was founded in 1953 in Harbin, China. It offers more than 150-degree programs, 48 of which are conducted in English. Designated a Double First Class University and a former Project 211 university, HEU is billed as a top institution for engineering and marine projects. It is also included in the Double First-Class University Plan designed by the central government of China.[11]