Harbin, a beautiful northern city, has the reputation of "the pearl under the swan" and "Eastern Moscow". In history, Harbin is the birthplace of the Jin and Qing dynasties. In the Republican period, Harbin was the second largest international city in the Far East, very developed and prosperous.
However, at the beginning of the last century, Japan sent many explorers and scholars to northeast China to collect information on astronomy, geography, and historical changes, as well as to closely investigate various aspects of Harbin in order to achieve its ambition of colonizing China. One of the "results" of the Japanese explorers and scholars' expeditions in Harbin is the "Yadong Print Series". The following old photographs are from this collection.
This photo was taken in 1924, when Harbin Railway Station, with its exotic station building and many horse-drawn carriages parked on the road in front of the station, was waiting for passengers to load their luggage.
Harbin Railway Station, built in 1899, designed by the famous Russian architectural engineer Kitevich, is the only large first-class station on the Middle East Railway.
This is Harbin's Central Street, the street is straight as far as the eye can see. All kinds of architectural styles converged in the street, and Central Avenue became the most famous street in the Far East at that time.
There were cars driving by on the road and foreign women could be seen on the side of the road. This photo was taken in 1934.
Harbin is so cold in winter that the Songhua River is covered with ice and snow, and horse-drawn carriages and cars pass right over it. Everywhere a snow white, can not tell which is the ground, which is the river.
It is said that when the Songhua River is at its coldest in winter, the thickness of the ice is about 3-5 meters. This photo was taken in 1925.
In 1924, standing on a high building overlooking the city of Harbin, the streets were spacious and straight, with green belts set up on both sides.
A variety of Western and Chinese buildings are intertwined, and the whole city is full of exotic architecture. In the distance, a railroad bridge spans the river and trains are roaring across it.
Located at No. 130, Central Avenue, UP was built in 1922. The building is a two-story brick structure.
On the signboards of some stores, you can see Japanese, Russian, etc. So, there are stores of many countries and it can be said that it has always been a gathering place for fashion trends. This photo shows the face of Universal House of Commerce in 1934.
The spire is the church of St. Nicholas, also known as the "Central Monastery" or "Lama's Terrace".
The church was built in 1900, designed by the famous Russian church architect Baldarevsky and named after Tsar Nicholas II. However, in 1966, for historical reasons, the church was demolished. The photo was taken in 1941.
In the 1930s, Harbin was very prosperous, known as the "Paris of the East". The streets of Harbin were full of foreigners, most of whom were Russians and Japanese.
According to historical data, in 1930, the population of Harbin was 340,000, of which about 100,000 were foreigners. This photo was taken in 1941.
This is the street of Harbin at that time, the street is flat and spacious, the road is lined with trees on both sides, already very similar to the modern city streets.
Cars drove by on the road and people rode in horse-drawn carriages. At the far end, a tram can be seen slowly approaching. This photo was taken in 1941.
In 1925, a down-and-out foreign mother, with her two sons, was begging on the streets of Harbin. A boy wearing a hat handed the mother the food in his hand, and she was moved to wipe her tears. At that time, foreigners living in Harbin were not always bright and shiny, but there were also those who lived in straitened circumstances.
In winter, the Songhua River, the river is thickly iced, even large ships are frozen in place, simply can not navigate.
A few wagons pulling cargo moved forward along the ice. There are also some people, chiseling through the ice and carrying water out with flat stretchers. This photo was taken in 1925.
This is a corner of the park in Harbin at that time, an arch bridge built by iron frame spanning the water, the river is crystal clear.
At the end of the bridge there is an artificial rockery. Follow the stone steps to the top of the hill, on which there is a two-story viewing platform. This photo was taken in 1934.
This is a beautifully constructed pagoda-style gate of Harbin Jokhang Temple in 1934. There are bell and drum towers, Tianwang Hall, Daxiong Hall and Three Saints Hall in the temple.
Built in 1923, Jokhang Temple is one of the four famous Buddhist monasteries in Northeast China and was once a renowned Buddhist institute in all directions.
In 1924, a carriage came down the road, the driver was a Chinese man, wearing a cotton shirt and pants. He was leading the horse and pulling some goods in the cart.
At that moment, a Russian came up curiously, as if asking the coachman about things, and the coachman answered as he hurried along.
In summer, the Songhua River is clear, and the river is so smoky that you can't see it. Nearby, there are many small boats moored at the pier. Some tourists are boating on the river.
In the distance, a railroad bridge spans over the river. This photo was taken in 1934.
This is a Pole living in Harbin who has adapted to the local life. He keeps two cows. The house is a bit dilapidated and he has prepared wainscoting with tree branches to protect the walls.
At sunset, he was feeding the chickens in front of the house, and two cows came to join in the fun. This photo was taken in 1924.
In the extremely cold winter in Harbin, several players are practicing playing hockey on this natural outdoor hockey rink.
Ice hockey is more prevalent in Europe, and with the arrival of foreigners in Harbin, the sport has been brought here as well. The hockey rink in this photo is quite large and classy. The photo was taken in 1925.
A view of Hagia Sophia in 1934. The tall dome and tower building is a typical representative of Byzantine architecture. The church is 53.35 meters high and covers an area of 721 square meters.
The Church of St. Sophia was built in 1907, then rebuilt in 1923, designed by the Russian architect Koyasikov and completed in 1932, making it the largest church in the Far East at that time.
In the winter of 1925, two men were playing on an ice and snow playground in Harbin. This is an ice slide built of wood, and the two men are riding a sled down from a high place. Below the slide, there was a herd of cows and sheep running. Now Harbin, the famous Ice City, is even more fun in winter.
This is a street scene of Fujiadian in 1934, full of exotic atmosphere, with people coming and going on the street. Fujiadian, also known as Machangdian, was once a swampy area along the Songhua River. Later, as the population moved in, it became prosperous through continuous development.
Look at the above decades old photos, and then look at the current Harbin, deeply the city has changed a lot. Sigh the ancient and cherish the present, we believe that Harbin's tomorrow will be better!
