Tourism Destination
Harbin was little more than a small fishing village until the turn of the last century, when the Russians reached
agreement with the Qing dynasty government to allow the Chinese Eastern Railway to pass through Chinese
territory. Harbin became a major transit point, and its future was transformed. After the 1917 Russian Revolution,
thousands of Russians settled in Harbin and set up businesses there, giving the city a Russian character that
it has never lost. The immigrants made their mark across the whole city, affecting the culture, the food and most
noticeably the architecture: the majestic St. Sofia Church could have been lifted straight out of St Petersburg. As
transport connections flourished, immigrants from numerous countries added to the mix, bringing English
architecture, French fashion and Japanese food to name but three of their imports. The city assimilated the various
cultures, to become a modern cosmopolitan ''Oriental Paris''.
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