Harbin is the capital of the Heilongjiang Province, also a port and rail junction in northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Harbin is the tenth largest city in China, serving as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications center of Northeastern China.

The city, founded as a rail center in 1900 by Russian financiers, was known as Pinkiang while part of the former Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo (1932-1945). Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets". Harbin bears the nicknames "The Pearl on the swan's neck" because the shape of Heilongjiang resembles a swan, and "Oriental Moscow" or "Oriental Paris" for the architecture in the city. After 1949, it developed into a diversified industrial center.

Harbin is also known as "Ice City" for its long and cold winter. This city is most famous for its beautiful display of ICE SCULPTURES in the winter.