CHINA HEILONGJIANG - HARBIN TOURIST AREA (PART1)

HARBIN TOURIST AREA

HARBIN ICE SNOW WORLD

The Harbin Ice Snow World established the winter of 1999, brings a breakthrough to traditional ice and snow recreations. Ice and snow artworks have since said farewell to crowded gardens and walked close to nature. It combines winter landscapes and recreations with ice and snow sculptures and show cases beautiful scenery, superb craftsmanship and exciting entertainment.

CENTRAL STREET

Located in downtown Daoli District, the Central Street is known as the most distinctive avenue of historical and cultural significance and major Commercial Street in Harbin. It stretches 1450 meters from the Flood Control Memorial Tower by the Songhuajiang River in the north to Jinwei Street in the south. It is 21.34 meters wide and its stone planked carriageway spans 10.8 meters in width. There are scattered countless European style buildings. The street concentrates buildings of the 4 most influential architectural genres in the history of Western architecture. Hence its nickname “Text Book Of Western Architecture”.

ST SOFIA CHURCH

First built in March 907, it is known as the biggest Orthdox Church building in the Far East. Originally it served as a military church of Russia’s Fourth Eastern Siberian Infantry Division. The reconstruction of the church started in 1923 and lasted for 9 years. With a Byzantine architectural style, it is 53.25 meters high and covers an area of 721 square meters. In November1996, upon the approval of the State Council, St Sofia Church was listed among the fourth batch of cultural sites under state special protection. Currently it serves as the Harbin Museum of Architecture.

JILE TEMPLE

The Jile Temple, built in the 1920s, is one of the 4 most important Buddhist temples in northeast China .It covers an area of 57000 square metres, its main courtyard consists of the Hall of Heavenly Kings,  the Grand Hall, the 3 Bodhisattva Hall and the Sutra Collecting Hall. The Drum Tower and Bell Tower stand in front of the Hall of Heavenly Kings. On both sides of the courtyard are other subordinate structures. Moreover, in its eastern courtyard is standing the famous Seven Story Buddhist Pagoda. The temple is the biggest contemporary Buddhist building complex and sanctum across Heilongjiang Province.

SUN ISLAND SCENIC AREA

Situated on the north bank of the Songhuajiang River, it is well known tourist resort both at home and abroad. It was originally built as a summer holiday village by the White Russia in the early 1920s.Besides villas in various styles; the scenic area also boasts lush foliage, soft and white sands, blue sky and clear water. The island is not only a summer resort, but also a fantasy land for winter tourism. It is in the Sun Island where the well-known Harbin Snow Sculpture Expo is held.

MANCHURIAN TIGER PARK

Located on the north bank of the Songhuajiang River, it is the largest artificial breeding base for Manchurian tigers around the world. With an area of 144 hectares, the park adjoins the Sun Island and is home to more than 300 purebred Manchurian tigers varying in ages. It consists of 5 scenic spots, including the Adult Tiger Garden, Artificial Bred Adult Tiger Garden, Young Tiger Garden, African Lion Garden and Pedestrian Zone.

HARBIN NORTHERN FOREST ZOO

Situated n Acheng’s Gezidong area, one of the hottest travel destinations in Heilongjiang Province, it covers 848 hectares and is the largest forest zoo around China. The zoo boasts rolling hills, well preserved ecological environment and lush foliage and 95.8 percent of its total area is covered with forests, making the zoo a natural “oxygen bar”. 

There are 23 modern exhibition halls and 5 outdoor rearing fields, including field for lions and tigers, field for large herbivores and field for wolves. The zoo houses more than 5000 animals out of over 240 species. 

Here visitors can enjoy circus performances, acrobatics of marine animals, bird taming, cock fighting, flying performances of wild geese and cranes  and groves with singing birds. The zoo is also equipped with completed service facilities, such as food center, cold drink bars and beer squares.

PARK OF THE FIRST JIN EMPEROR’S MAUSOLEUM IN ACHENG

The mausoleum lies 2 kilometres away from urban Acheng and is where Wanyan Agda, the first emperor the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) was buried. It is the best preserved imperial Mausoleum in northeastern China. In October 1998, the park of the first Jin emperor’s Mausoleum began to be constructed. Covering 5.1 hectares, the mausoleum consists of front building, the Sacred Path, the Hall of Peaceful Spirit and the Underground Palace. The park of the first Jin Emperor’s Mausoleum showcases the splendid culture of the Jin Dynasty.

YUQUAN HUNTING GROUND

The Yuquan Hunting Ground, situated 55 kilometres southeast of Harbin, is the largest closed hunting field in Asia. It occupies a land of 3000 hectares, of which 80 percent are covered with forests. Besides more than 60 sorts of trees and 40 species of birds, there are more than 1000 red deer and spotted deer. Furthermore, the hunting ground has a skiing field equipped with alpine ski courses and langlauf courses. Such recreation programs as snow motoring, deer sledding, sledging and winter hunting are also available here.

PHOENIX MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST PARK

The Phoenix Mountain, located southeast of Shanhetun Forestry Bureau in Heilongjiang , covers 500 square kilometrer.Its main peak rises 1690 meters above sea level, higher than any other peak of the Zhangguangcai Range. It is thus reputed as the First Mountain in Northeast China. In November 2001, it was approved 2001 by the State Forestry Administration to be a National Forest Park. The park concentrates dense forests, torrential rivers, imposing gorges, vast grasslands and boundless wetlands, as well as mysterious UFO.