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Daoli District, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China.
The largest and longest pedestrian street in Asia.
Harbin Zhongyang Pedestrian Street, or known as the Central Avenue, has been the most prosperous commercial hub for over one hundred years in downtown Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. The street stretches to Harbin Flood Prevention Cenotaph Square to the north and Xinyang Square to the south. The street is 1400 meters long and 21.34 meters wide. The whole street is divided into a couple of different parts and vehicles are not allowed to run along the street.
Built in 1898, the Central Avenue is dubbed as "a gallery of European architectural art", for it is featured with a large number of western architectures, including Russian, Baroque, Renaissance and other style buildings. For visitors who have never been to Moscow, Rome or Paris can get a feeling and appreciation for the architecture of those cities by visiting the Central Avenue in Harbin. Harbin is known as “Eastern Moscow” or “Eastern Paris”, and as the miniature of Harbin, the Central Avenue is the landmark of Harbin city that you can not miss.
On both sides of the Zhongyang Pedestrian Street are hundreds of stores and restaurants, forming a mature commercial service center. In recent years, the outside appearance of the stores has been refurbished, and has been decorated with lanterns and all kinds of colored streamers. The transformation has made Central Avenue all the more attractive, especially at night when all the streamer and lights are on.
As the most exotic street in Harbin, you may find many commodities from the rest of the world available in the lined stores. The commodities you can find here includes furs from Russia, perfume from France, woolen cloths from Britain, cotton cloths from Japan, medicine from Germany, oil from the United States, clocks and watches from Switzerland, gunny bags from India, and dry and fresh fruits from various places.
► Shopping would be a funny thing to do. As the most prosperous commercial street in Harbin, there are various large department stores along Zhongyang Pedestrian Street, selling all kinds of products and it attracted to numerous people who love shopping. Except for the local craft products, Russian nesting dolls are quite fit to families or friends as souvenirs. You can buy them in the craft shops. But it is a little expensive to buy Russian nesting dolls in Zhongyang Pedestrian Street, and it is hard to get discount.
► Enjoy an authentic Russian style meal is must try thing in Harbin. Famous Russian food restaurant includes Macy Restaurant, Botemanxi Russian restaurant, etc. Lucia coffee western restaurant,Tadous West Restaurant,Harbin Mingdian Western Restaurant and Maddale West Restaurant are also welcomed by locals and tourists. When you come to Zhongyang Pedestrian Street, you must try authentic Russian Western food, as well as the famous Maddale Popsicle.
►Get around in Zhongyang Pedestrian Street. At the northern end of the Central Avenue is Flood Prevention Cenotaph Station, Songhua River is only 20 minutes’ waking away from the street. Walk eastwards from the middle of the street is Zhaoling Park - a garden for winter ice lanterns. Saint Sophia Cathedral is also within walking distance. After touring along the street, you may have a leisure stroll to the nearby attractions.
►If you travel to Harbin in winter, you will find many interesting and beautiful ice engravings.
Modern Hotel（ 哈尔滨中央大街马迭尔宾馆）
Built in 1906, it is a typical "Art Nouveau" building and a first-class protected building in Harbin. The building has a unique style and is of great historical and artistic value. It was originally a large luxury hotel, and the name "Modern" represents "modern" and "fashionable".
Flood Control Monument
Located at the northern end of Central Street, it is a landmark by the Songhua River. It was built in 1958 to commemorate the victory of Harbin people in fighting against the flood. The building has a unique style. In winter, you can play ice projects on the Songhua River, and in summer, you can take a walk by the river to enjoy the cool breeze and the sunset.
Central Street Education Bookstore（哈尔滨中央大街教育书店）
It is the largest Baroque-style building in Harbin and also a landmark of Central Street. The building has a magnificent appearance and exquisite architectural details, which perfectly demonstrates the charm of Baroque architecture.
St. Sophia Cathedral
Although it is not directly on Central Street, it is only a 10-minute walk away and is also a must-visit attraction. It is the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the Far East, with a history dating back to 1907. The building is designed in the shape of a Latin cross and made of red brick, with a striking green onion-shaped dome and intricate murals, showcasing a blend of rich cultural heritage and exquisite artistry. In 1997, it was renamed the Harbin Architectural Art Gallery.
【Chinese name】: Daoli District, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
【Opening hours】: all day for free
【Recommended time to stay】: 1 or 2 hours
From on request
From on request
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