Heilongjiang · China
Harbin travel guide
Harbin is a city in Heilongjiang, China, home to about 10,010,000 people.
- Best months
- May and September
- Nearest airport
- HRB33 km · Harbin Taiping International Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Harbin
Harbin or Hā'ěrbīn is the capital of Heilongjiang, China, and the largest city of the province—as well as the second largest urban population (after Shenyang, Liaoning province) and the largest metropolitan population (urban and rural regions together) in Northeast China. Harbin has direct jurisdiction over nine metropolitan districts, two county-level cities, and seven counties.
Harbin is China's northernmost major city, with a population in excess of 10 million, and over 4 million in the city center alone. The city has been influenced a lot by neighboring Russia, in particular after the October Revolution of 1917, when the Russians of the White movement that supported the deposed czar escaped the country after the communist takeover, many of whom settled in Harbin.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Harbin
See
- Russian Buildings
- Zhongyang Dajie
- Old Quarter
- Harbin Ice and Snow World
- Songhua River Railway Bridge
- St. Sophia Cathedral
- Harbin Jewish New Synagogue
- Temple of Heavenly Bliss
- Harbin Confucius Temple
- Laodaowai
- Huining Fu
- Siberian Tiger Park
Do
By far Harbin's biggest claim to fame, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (哈尔滨国际冰雪节 Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié) is held every year, running from early January until warm weather erodes the constructions (exact dates vary). Throughout the city you will find small ice and snow sculptures during the festival, however there are three major sites with large ice and snow sculptures on display.
- Ice and Snow World
- Ice Festival, Zhaolin Park
- Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Fair
- Harbin Summer Music Festival
- Harbin International Beer Festival
- Sauna/bath houses
- WB International Movie Theatre
- Yangge Traditional Chinese Dance
- Bowling
- Swimming
- Haerbin Grecism International Health Club
- Fitness Ark Health Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Harbin to stay in
Almost every bath house in the city has a large room with 50-100 plush beds where you can spend up to 24 hours. You can also lock your belongings in a locker and use their shower facilities, most of them have an 'all you can eat' buffet as well. Total around ¥50 which just can't be beat. Look for signs that say 洗浴 and make sure its fairly big as the smaller ones will not provide these types of services. When you come in pack light as to not look suspicious. This is not recommended for inexperienced travelers and it is highly unlikely any of the service staff will speak English.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Harbin
2 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Mercure Harbin Central Street Sophia Church | 3.2 km | |
| Winter Inn | 5.8 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Harbin
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Harbin are May and September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; July is the wettest, with about 149 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Harbin: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB), about 33 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Taxis are inexpensive and convenient. However, always ask them to run the meter (请打表 qǐng dǎ biǎo) instead of attempting to negotiate a price in order avoid possible conflicts. Flag fall is ¥8 and covers the first 3 km of travel. After that, the rate is ¥1 per 500 m. There is also a charge levied based on the time the car is stationary (i.e. stuck in traffic), but this is usually only of significance in truly awful, gridlocked traffic conditions. At the end of the journey, a ¥1 fuel surcharge will be added to the amount displayed on the meter.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
HRB · Harbin Taiping International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Harbin
Eat
If there is one thing special about Harbin, it has to be the food. Taking influences from Russia, Mongolia, Korea and of course China, the food in Harbin is much "heartier" than you can find anywhere in China, and stews and other duncai are popular dishes. Because the winters are long here you'll find fewer exotic ingredients and heavy use of vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, cucumber and corn. Chinese BBQ or shaokao and Hot Pot is also equally popular in Harbin and is a must eat once you get into town. One thing you will notice is that Dongbei people love to eat, and it's not just for the food, but for getting all their friends together at one table and drinking/eating the night away.
Drink
Just because Harbin is below freezing a good amount of the year, doesn't mean it's devoid of nightlife. In fact, Harbin is one of the "rowdier" cities in China. Just don't expect Shanghai or even Beijing "quality" establishments. Most places in Harbin have puke stains on the toilets that are months old. With a good number of foreigners living in the city studying and working, the weekends are always bustling around 2-3 locations such as Blues, The Box, Pacers, or the small bars around the Universities. Dongbei people are reqing (热情) or very lively and seem to drink with almost every meal!
Stay safe
While it is unlikely that you will be a victim of a crime, as in any large city be vigilant about your personal property, exercise care if you find yourself on a lightly traveled street, and always be aware of your surroundings. Most trouble that people run into in Harbin revolves around drinking at the clubs. Harbin is famous in China for being a "rough" city, and locals pride themselves on their machismo. Fights are common on the weekends and while this may not directly involve you, it's best to leave at the first signs of conflict. Don't expect bar security to come to your rescue.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Harbin: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Harbin?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Harbin are May and September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; July is the wettest, with about 149 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Harbin?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB), about 33 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Harbin?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Harbin
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.