Central Street: the Longest Pedestrian Street in Asia

The central street is a prosperous commercial pedestrian street in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. It starts from the flood prevention memorial tower square by the river in the north and connects to Xinyang square in the south with a length of 1400 meters. The long street was built in 1900, including 71 buildings of Renaissance, baroque and other styles, where people can not only taste delicious Russian food and modern popsicles, but also enjoy elaborate European-style architecture and romantic night scenery.

Basic Facts about Central Street:

• Thecentral street, formerly known as China street, is the place where it is filled with thewestern style of Harbin. The formation of this street dates back to 1898 when Harbin started construction on Harbin railway and urban construction. The area along the river was an ancient river at that time, and the Middle East of Harbin railway engineering bureau allocated the wasteland along the river to the Chinese people in Harbin. And until 1900, it became the “China Street”，which means a street for Chinese people to live.
• In July 1928, China street was officially renamed “central street”. From then on, Central street has become a famous commercial street in Harbin. With so many foreigners doing business, trade here boomed quickly. The rapid development of the economy has stimulated these businessmen to settle in this area. Thecentral street is the epitome of Harbin, where the unique architectural culture of Harbin and the European life of Harbin people are clearly reflected here, and it is called “the first street in Asia”.
• Thecentral street is located in the heart of Harbin, with atotal length of 1450 meters long and 21.34 meters wide. The walking block of central street covers an area of 94.05 hectares, about 1 square kilometer. The most distinctive feature is that the whole street is paved with square stones. There are 17 leisure areas in the block, 18 parking lots, 152 European classical street lamps, 14 lawns and green Spaces, about 2600 square meters, 5 sculptures and 3 fountains.
• The architecture of central street gathers the most influential architectural style in the history of western architecture, such as the Renaissance style of the 15th to 16th centuries, the baroque style of the 17th century, the eclectic style of the 18th century and the art Nouveau movement style of the 19th century, which cover the centennial essence of western architectural art. There are 71 European-style and imitation European-style buildings ina central street, which is a precious architectural art corridor in China.
• The various large department stores on thecentral street always attract countless people who love shopping. There are many famous western Russian restaurants such as Massey restaurant and Portman restaurant, as well as the delicious modern popsicles and so on. In addition, there are Russian handicraft shops, Qiulin food and other specialty stores for visitors to choose from.
• The north end of thecentral street is the flood prevention memorial tower. In summer,it is suitable for people to walk along the Songhua river, while in winter, there are many ice activities such as carriage riding, playing snow circles and skating on the frozen river surface. In the middle of the central street, you can go east to Zhaolin Park, where the winter ice lantern garden party is held, and from the south section of the central street, you can go east to Sophia Cathedral.

How to Buy Entrance Tickets:

• Price of Entrance Tickets:Free
• Opening Time: whole day

When is the best time to visit?

Central Street is a prosperous commercial street for people to visit all year round. And in summer, walking along the Songhua River is a popular activity, while in winter, visitors can try different ice activities on the frozen river surface to experience the snow and ice culture in northeastern China.

Tips: Visitors had better avoid the official holiday in China, because many Chinese citizens choose to travel on official holidays to ease the pressure of their work. As a result, many Chinese tourist attractions are overcrowded and traffic jams are common. Therefore, visiting China at this time will bring tourists a less pleasant travel experience.

Official Holidays in China

How to get to Central Street?

• Bus

It is convenient for visitors to take Bus No.2, 53, 126, 132 or 136 and get off at the Zhongyang Dajie Station.

Recommended China Harbin Tours:

• 3 Days Private Harbin Trip to Ice & Snow Festival and Volga Manor from Harbin
• 2 Days Harbin City Tour
• 7 Days Classic Harbin Yabuli and Snow Town Tour from Beijing by Overnight Train