Spring Cherry Blossoms

Some of the lovely cherry blossoms currently blossoming along central Harbin's Xidazhi Street.

Unexpectedly Sacred Spaces

Growing up in the Horn of Africa I was familiar with the sight of a large tree with offerings of butter underneath it, remnants of a past animism that hadn't been forgotten despite the spread of Christianity and Islam in the region. It was a surprise, however, to see similar offerings (steam buns and incense) at an otherwise unremarkable tree outside the Harbin Convention Center Mall. "It's a small world after all..."

IKEA Naps Come to Harbin

Chinese shoppers have long been able to nap at IKEAs across the PRC, but now that IKEA has opened a demo store in the Hongbo Convention Center Mall (a precursor to its Haxi store, set to open this summer) they can finally nap at IKEA-Harbin too!

Harbin Railway Cultural Palace

The lovely Harbin Railway Cultural Palace on Xidazhi Street, formerly the Chinese Eastern Railway Club.

Harbin Railway Station Demolition

A panorama of the ongoing demolition of the old front square and buildings of the Harbin Railway Station! The rebuilt station (operational throughout the renovations) will front a grand new plaza facing north rather than southeast.

Giant Mall Ant

A randomly giant ant outside Hongta, a new mall in Harbin's Haxi area.

IKEA Construction Site

I have been reading and hearing about Harbin's IKEA opening "soon" since I moved to Manchuria nearly 3 years ago. (I think this time it may well happen though!) According to my sources IKEA will open its Haxi store in either July or August 2017!

Spring on Hongbo

Hongbo Square's snowflake (on the site of the old city Cathedral of St. Nicholas) on a gorgeous, chilly spring day.

Dusty Skies

Brown skies as another wave of spring dust blows over Harbin...

Old Railway Bridge

I've been passing this lovely old bridge near the top of Zhongyang Avenue for years now, and I had no idea that it was a pedestrian walkway and not a working railway bridge!

I visited the bridge on a holiday, so it was a little crowded. (This photo doesn't do that statement justice, there were sections that were quite packed.)

A train crossing the Songhua on the new railway bridge.

The lovely little park along the old train tracks on the other side of the bridge. It felt fairly new, especially in the stretches with gaping holes waiting for trees to go in!

A look up the river with its melting ice floes and hazy Songbei shoreline. (As the region melts in the springtime we start getting dust storms sweeping in from further west.)

A look at Stalin Park and downtown Harbin from the bridge.

The Great Meltdown

A look at the melting Songhua! Qingming Festival was our first day over 20 degrees this spring and even with all the dust in the air it was still lovely to be out and about on such a warm day!

A look at the patchwork of ice still clinging to the river.