Harbin is China's northernmost major city,with a population in excess of 10 million,and over 4 million in the city center alone.Historically,the city has had a lot of Russian influence,in particular after the Russian Civil War of 1918,when White (Monarchist) refugees escaped the newly formed Soviet Union.The influence remains clearly visible in the building styles and foods.The city was founded in 1897 as a camp for Russian engineers surveying the Trans-Siberian Railway.Labor demands brought in a collection of outcasts from across Russia,Poland and even from within Manchuria.The city eventually was captured by the Japanese during World War II and later captured by the Chinese in 1946.Once nothing more than a Russian-built outpost of the railway,Harbin has managed to become a major player in her own right as well as capital of Heilongjiang Province.
Recent History
Northeastern China was originally built up as an industrial center using pre-existing Soviet and Japanese factories.By the 1980s these outdated and inefficient factories could not keep up.To further complicate matters,starting in the early 1990s,large portions of China's state owned enterprise workers were laid off.Thus,like many other cities in this region,contemporary Harbin is struggling with an aging work force and unemployment.Private enterprise is mostly centered in the service sector,retail,restaurants,etc.with most large scale enterprises still state owned.However,the province has thousands of state-owned enterprises up for sale,and many have been purchased since the late 1990s.Numerous universities in Harbin also play a vital role in the economy in education,research and through their subsidiary companies.In 2005 there was a major pollution spill on the Songhua river.
Climate
Harbin is infamous for its very cold winters — it is at the same latitude as Montreal,and winter temperatures as low as -38.1°C have been recorded.Bring more clothes than you will think you will need so that you can layer.Average daytime summer temperatures are in the mid 20s(°C) with a few weeks reaching low 30s,while the coldest part of winter averages a chilly -17°C.
The winter can become dreary if you are a longterm resident,as the entire city uses coal for heat the air quality rapidly decreases during these months.
Harbin can be a great place to visit in the summer.The weather is cool and it seems to be perpetually breezy,and most of Harbin's streets are lined with trees.Because the city is so cold all winter,life almost explodes and people crowd the streets until late at night eating kabobs,playing poker,and drinking Hapi (Harbin Beer).This is a great escape from the heat of Beijing.A trip up to the border regions this time of year would be nice as well.
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