Harbin at a Glance

Harbin, nicknamed China's "Ice City," was founded a little over a hundred years ago as the hub of the Russian-built Chinese Eastern Railway in what is now the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang. Although from the 1100s on China's Jin dynasty had its first capital in what is now a southeastern suburb of Harbin, the modern city wasn't established until 1898 when the Chinese Eastern Railway built the city to serve as its administrative center.

A view of Harbin in the summer.

Today Harbin is a bustling metropolis of roughly ten and a half million people and is China's eighth largest city. While largely an industrial city, Harbin is also becoming a draw for tourists thanks to its amazing Ice Festival, its unique blend of Chinese, Russian, and Western architectural and culinary influences, and the ski resorts nearby.

Some nice - if basic - video introductions to Harbin can be found here and here. If all goes as planned I will be living and working in this fascinating city from the summer of 2014 through the summer of 2015!