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Harbin
is the capital of Heilongjiang
Province, which
borders Russia
in the north. Situated in the middle reaches of the Songhua
River, it is a busy river port. With
several highways
and railways converging at Harbin, the
city is an important transportation
hub
in northeastern China.
Harbin used to be a
fishing village, and its name, in Manchu dialect, means drying fishnets.
Unlike most provincial capitals in China, it has a very short history.
Harbin was incorporated as a town in 1898. Since the founding of the
People's Republic in 1949 it has rapidly evolved into an industrial
city.
The Sonhua flows
through the city from west to east, providing an ideal place for summer
swimming.
Winter is cold and long
there, usually lasting seven months from October to April. The long
winter gives birth to the famous art of ice sculpture.
The Sun Island is one
of northern China's most scenic spots and is famous throughout the
country as a resort. The island is in the Songhua River and contains
many sanatoriums, villas, pavilions and kiosks surrounded by trees and
flower beds.
HUNTING GAMES AT
TAOSHAN
The hunting Ground at Taoshan (Peach Mountains) is China's first
hunting ground opened to foreign tourists. Located at the western foot
of the lesser Xing'an Mountains, it covers more than 49,410 acres of
vast virgin forest, and is only a four-hour train ride north of Harbin.
Game includes bears,
red deer, wild boar, lynx, otters, weasels, snow rabbits and squirrels.
ICE-CARVINGS SHOWS
These are held in Zhaolin Park in January and February every
year. Ice-carvings of a great variety are displayed. In the evening, the
whole park is lit with lanterns, and the glittering ice-sculptures turn
it into a shining crystal palace.
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