Harbin's nightlife is vibrant & exciting!

Story by Duggy Day/Li Tianbao

Hi there! Greetings to you from a famous city in northeast China, which gets very chilly during the winter months! In fact, temperatures can go way below minus 35C, it's true! That's one of the reasons that Harbin is actually known as the 'Ice City'. Another reason for this descriptive nickname is the International Ice and Snow Festival which Harbin hosts every year, an event that has become famous around the world! 

The Central Avenue in Harbin, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. [Photo: China Plus]

Shortly after arriving in Harbin, I headed over to a place called Central Avenue, because this street is known to really come alive in the late afternoon and early evening! The avenue has a lot of character, as the buildings feature classic architecture with European or Russian influences. Many people enjoy shopping in the avenue, or just sitting in one of the many local restaurants enjoying the tasty local cuisine.

Harbin Innovative Financial Industry Park in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. [Photo: China Plus]

A popular past-time in Central Avenue is just to stroll along the road in the direction of the Songhua River and admire everything you see, which could be a colorful street parade, various musical performances or even a novelty show. The crowded avenue has its very own vibrant atmosphere, which is fun and exciting to experience! 

Duggy Day visits the central avenue in Harbin, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. [Photo: China Plus]

If you have been reading my daily reports from northeast China, you will know I'm touring with a group called the China-friendly Netizens. Apart from visiting eye catching tourist attractions, we are also checking out at a number of companies, which are thriving in this part of China at the moment. Yesterday we were invited to visit a new venture called the Harbin Innovative Financial Industry Park, which was set up last year to serve companies in the financial services sector. The aim of the Park is to attract companies involved in business like asset management, corporate banking, insurance and investment portfolios, and have them set up shop in one key area of Harbin. The project has already been very fruitful as a number of successful companies have signed up, including the Kazakhstan Silver Consumer Finance Company, and the CITIC Capital Healthcare Industry Fund which have already set up their headquarters at the Harbin Innovative Financial Industry Park.

On a lighter note, do you enjoy watching large water fountains in action? 

Yesterday, I went to see an amazing water fountain show called The Jinhe Parks Music Valley Fountain, which is one of the biggest fountains in northeast China. This musical fountain uses 656 water pumps, which can spray jets of water up to 100 meters high, it's really something to see! The fountain can also spray water in many different directions and also make shapes to popular tunes like Blue Danube and Moscow Nights. 

Well, that's my report for today! See you tomorrow! Zai Jian!