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Harbin Central Street
Harbin Central Street
Central Street is a pedestrian-only cobblestone street more than a kilometer (about a mile) long lined with stores, restaurants, old architecture dating from the Russian era, and malls. Central Street was part of the original town built by the Russians about 110 years ago. It was first called Chinese Street. You’ll find some shops with Russian products, international restaurants, and two megamarkets, Walmart and the French Carrefour, that are located at the end of Central Street. The street is said to be the prettiest street in Harbin, and during the winter you can enjoy a dog sled or a horse sled ride. It is an easy shopping and dining highlight in the area.
Location of the street
Central Street is in the old central district of Harbin. Harbin itself is in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The city is in China’s northern-most province, and it is north of North Korea. Its international airport is a two hour flight away from Beijing. Travel from the airport to the street by taxi takes about 45 minutes. It is an overnight train ride away from Beijing.
Harbin Central Street
What to do in the street
- Cobblestone pedestrian street for shopping and dining.
- Russian made goods such as furs, souvenirs, imported vodka, Russian dolls, chocolate, furs, and Russian food products.
- Russian restaurants and a choice of international cuisine.
- Interesting old architecture of various styles.
- Lower prices, especially for local food, transportation, hotels, and Chinese and Russian made items. If you want to eat local Dongbei style food inexpensively, dinner might cost 10 RNB or about 1.50 USD. If you want to find inexpensive lodging, you can get a private room for 10 USD at the local Chinese-style small hotels in the area.
Nearby Attractions
The attractions you can walk to from Central Street include the old buildings in the old district of the city and the Russian-Chinese Market area there, and St. Sophia Cathedral. During the winter, the ice and snow exhibitions for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival are within a few kilometers. This is one of the four biggest winter festivals in the world. The Ice Lantern Festival exhibits are within walking distance in Zhaolin Park and Stalin Park on the bank of the Songhua River. The Grand World of Ice and Snow snow sculpture exhibits are on Sun Island Park. Sun Island Park is a large park, resort, and recreation area on an island in the river. The park includes a Siberian Tiger Park. You can also take a three hour train ride to Yabuli Ski Resort that is one of China's best.
