Travel in China
Harbin's river - frozen in winter for sleighs and skating.
The Songhua River is Harbin's mother river - the city was founded on its banks and still lives facing the water. Along the city-centre shore, the promenade of Stalin Park unfolds with Russian-style pavilions, flowerbeds and sculptures, backed by the riverside facades that made the city's reputation.
The waterfront's landmark is the Flood Control Victory Monument, built in 1958 to commemorate the great flood of 1957. It stands exactly where Central Street meets the river, and the whole embankment is free and open 24 hours a day.
The river changes character with the seasons: in summer cruise boats trace the bank and the promenade fills with evening strollers, while in deep winter the frozen surface becomes a playground of ice sledges, wind-driven ice boats and even winter swimmers cutting pools in the ice.
Highlights
Flood Control Victory Monument
The 1958 tower commemorating the 1957 flood, rising at the point where Central Street meets the water.
Stalin Park
A leafy esplanade of Russian-style pavilions and sculptures stretching along the city bank.
Walk on the Frozen River
In deep winter the Songhua freezes solid and becomes a flat white playground at the city's doorstep.
Ice Sledges & Ice Boats
Slide across the ice on open sledges or watch wind-powered ice boats skimming the frozen surface.
Winter Swimmers
Harbin's famously hardy locals bathe in pools cut through the river ice - a spectacle in itself.
Central Street Finale
The promenade begins at the north end of the pedestrian boulevard, so the two pair effortlessly.
Photo Gallery
Comments