Founded in 1907, St Sofia Orthodox Church is a landmark in Harbin. Its green onion-shaped dome is very eye-catching. Although this magnificent Byzantine building no longer has the function of a church, is it still attracting everyone to come and visit.
St Sofia Orthodox Church is a relatively complete Byzantine building in China. Although it was renamed “Harbin Architecture Art Museum” in 1997, it is more likely to call it “St Sofia Orthodox Church” for locals and foreign tourists.
The more striking part of the church is the huge 48-meter-long onion-shaped dome, which is a typical Russian architectural roof form that is magnificent and can be compared to the Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The walls of the church are made of clear red bricks. There are four tents of different sizes around the big dome. There are stairs connected between the four lower floors. There are four doors in the front and rear of the church for people enter and go out.
After the church was converted into an art gallery, it was internally remodeled, and it has reflected the history, current status and future of the famous city of Harbin by displaying nearly a thousand pictures and urban planning sand tables. However, after the reconstruction, the original pattern was destroyed, and the function as a church has disappeared.
There are “square pigeons” in the square in front of the church. There is also a large series of musical fountains. The locals like to take wedding photos here. Compared with the scenery in daytime, the night view of the church is more beautiful. When the night falls, the church is more magnificent and mysterious and full of exoticism.
The St Sofia Orthodox Church is really magnificent. At the top of the main entrance is the bell tower. The church building is arranged in a Greek cross. It is influenced by the Byzantine architectural style. The main dome and the bell tower also have the traditional Russian “tent top” and “onion head” shape!
Sun Island Scenic Spot has several attractions on the island, and the Russian-style town is a Russian-style tourist and leisure town. The whole town consists of 27 villas and houses that reflect the simple, rich Russian style and architectural art of the last century. The ticket is a passport with a fare of 20. You will feel leisurely and quiet. If you want to go there by boat, you don’t have to take a big boat of 10 yuan. There is also a boat on the dock that costs only 3 yuan. You can find it when you look for it. In addition, there is a battery car on the island. Don’t take it, just walk straight into the scenic spot, as taking a leisurely stroll is quite comfortable there.
Harbin Sun Island in summer features beautiful scenery and pleasant climate. In winter, the snow is covered with ice and the scenery is exceptionally enchanting. Harbin Ice and Snow Culture Exhibition Hall is a cultural venue that displays the history of Harbin culture and the art of ice and snow.
Central Street is a prosperous commercial pedestrian street in Harbin City. It is located on the riverside Flood Control Monument in the north and connects the Xinyang Square in the south, which is 1,400 meters long. This long street was built in 1900, and the street buildings include 71 buildings of various styles such as the Renaissance and Baroque. The central street is full of 71 European and imitation European buildings, and it is a rare architectural art group in the country. It is a collection of city-level protected buildings of the Renaissance, Baroque, Eclecticism and modern style.
Located on the north bank of the Songhua River, Siberian Tiger Park covers an area of 360,000 square meters. It is currently the world’s largest Siberian Tiger Park. In the park, there are 10 visiting spots including the wilderness and domestication area, adult tiger area, little tiger area, tiger king area, bred tiger area, liger area, African Lion area, Pedestrian Area and tiger viewing platform etc. You can watch more than 100 purebred Siberian tigers. Tourists choose to sit in the ordinary sightseeing car to find the tigers, or increase the price by 20 yuan to change to a thrilling sightseeing feeding car, which is surrounded by a large iron net, and whose body is very heavy, and it is specially designed for the close feeding of the Siberian tiger.
If you are interested, you can buy live chickens and live sheep at your own expense and watch the real scenes of the tigers seizing the food. The only bad thing is that the price of live chickens is slightly higher, and the tourists are not too active. The circus is still very exciting.
From the ice surface of the Songhua River, next to the Flood Control Monument, there is a bus to Harbin Ice and Snow World, and you can get off at the Ice and Snow World Station and go to the ice and snow world in a few minutes. Tickets for the Ice and Snow World are 330 yuan. The Ice and Snow World has an annual snow-themed carnival that is open from Christmas every year to early March. Here you can admire the beautiful ice sculptures, snow sculptures and snow castles. At night, the ice lanterns under the various lights are more charming and you can enjoy all kinds of snow entertainment. The dining expenses in the scenic spot are higher. The outdoor temperature here is minus 20 degrees, so you must pay attention to the camera, keep the phone warm, do put it as close to your body as possible when you don’t use it, and bring a spare battery.
Qinglong Cave is located on the Zhonghe Mountain in the east of Zhenyuan Ancient Town. It is backed by mountains and faces with waters. It integrates Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism together. The magnificent ancient buildings are built on the wall and are simply a replica of the Hanging Temple. Different from the traditional buildings that are built from the bottom to the up, the earliest building of Qinglong Cave, Jade Emperor Pavilion is built close to the main hole of Qinglong Cave. It overlooks the ancient town of Zhenyuan. The Wuyang River forms an S-shaped curve here, which is suitable for the Taoist Eight Diagrams Feng Shui. Since then, the buildings have been built from the top to the bottom on the basis of the Jade Emperor Pavilion, which has finally formed the Qinglongdong ancient buildings. Today’s Qinglong Cave is an excellent place to enjoy the charm of the Wuyang River. It is also like a long scroll of mountains and rivers hanging on the Wuyang River.
The Qinglong Cave Scenic Area is opposite to the Shiping Mountain. The scenic spot is dominated by the Wanshou Palace. The pavilions and temples are surrounded by mountains and waters, which is like a hanging temple. From the far away, the buildings in Qinglong Cave are unusually spectacular. The buildings are almost built on high mountains and rocks. You will feel shocked and sighed with the craftsmanship of these unnamed craftsmen!
When you get off the train, you will see the bus 1-6 straightly to the Zhenyuan ancient town, and reach the new bridge in ten minutes. The whole town has developed into a tourist city. The street in the ancient town is the snacks street, and the other street mainly features souvenir and clothing stores. In the off-season, there are many choices for the inn, but the hotels near the river are more expensive. Commercialization is beginning to be at scale, souvenir shops are expanding, night scenes are more beautiful, but the bar are also very lively. The sunset near Zhusheng Bridge and the New Bridge is beautiful. Qinglong Temple also is worthy your visit if you are interested. If you want to see the panoramic view of the ancient city, you can climb the mountain along the Sifang Street. There are also many ancient houses in the alleys to visit. They are very special. If you don’t take the boat, it will be enough to arrange 1 day for your trip in Zhenyuan Ancient Town.
Xijiang Miaozhai is known as the world’s largest Miao Village. The whole scenic spot is really big, but the sightseeing is mainly concentrated in the commercial street and snack street, then the wind and rain bridge and the observation deck. The rest are the residential areas of the farmers. When you arrive at the gate of the scenic spot, you must first take a tour bus to enter the north Gate, and then you really enter the scenic spot.
From an objective point of view, Miaozhai industry is basically contracted by a tourism company. In Miao Village, you can rent their famous costumes for a day, or you can climb the mountains to see the water, and you must taste the local long-tables banquet, which is a special feature in the village. In addition, other specialties can also be tasted. At night it is best to stay overnight in the village. On the mountain in the evening, you can look down on the whole Miao Village. You can also watch local performances. If you have a camera, you can buy a VIP position, which is especially good for photography or shooting. Finally, go to the second door from the East Gate to the North Gate, there is a small hill road where you can go directly into Miao Village.
Ocean Park Hong Kong is a world-class theme park that combines sea and land animals, mobile games and large-scale performances. It is also one of the most popular theme parks in the world. In 2012, Ocean Park Hong Kong competed in the world’s best theme park competition, and it has defeated the French “madman” theme park and the US “Santa Cruz” to be named “the world’s first theme park”, and becomes the first theme park in Asia to receive this honor.
Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong is similar the Huangpu River in Shanghai. Of course, Victoria Harbour will be even bigger. After all, it is a seaport. During the day in Victoria Harbour, you can enjoy the different feeling on the Star Ferry. If the daytime in Victoria Harbour is simple and tasteless, then the night at Victoria Harbour is a mysterious but attractive poison that will make you deep and can’t get out of it. The night at Victoria Harbour makes no difference to Shanghai’s Bund, but more of a kind of fashion, and the night view of Shanghai Bund is elegant. The Victoria Harbour is more spacious and longer, and the river is wider, and you will feel something different.
The night view of Victoria Harbour is really fascinating! The street band that is composed of Hong Kong trend youths makes people stop to listen; lovers rely on the railings to talk about love; the old man walks with the children on the Avenue of Stars; tourists appreciate the beauty and have long been reluctant to leave. The light, the sea, the breeze makes people get away from the world and forget the troubles!