A Festival of Ice Adds Steam to Harbin’s Development
– An Exclusive Interview with Song Xibin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Harbin Municipal Committee and Mayor of Harbin
China Today: The 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival was a platform on which to display the city to the world and enhance international ties. Does Harbin see itself becoming a year-round leading city for tourism in China?
Mayor Song: We have the potential to be. Harbin’s humid continental climate makes it an ice city in winter and a summer retreat in June, July and August. Around the city are huge tracts of ice lands in winter, wetlands in summer and primeval forests. Our “Ice and Snow World” is the world’s biggest outdoor ice theme park. It covers 125,000 acres of summer wetlands adjacent to the Song- hua River.
Harbin has 45 Class-A scenic spots, such as Sun Island, and 12 national forest parks. In recent years, the city’s tourism resources have been fully utilized to build up the “Harbin brand.”
Of course, the centerpiece of the “Harbin brand” is still the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. After 29 years or more of nurturing and development it has now become a widely anticipated fixture on the world tourism calendar. The festival only succeeds because the city succeeds.
Today Harbin is a great place to live, and has maintained its historical architectural grandeur in new developments. It was listed as one of China’s top 10 tourist-friendly cities and one of the world’s 50 best summer resort cities.
China Today: In recent years Harbin has taken advantage of its location close to the Russian border to develop tourism, restructure its industries, improve local livelihoods and cultivate new growth opportunities. The city is now known as a regional hot spot for development and investment. What among Harbin’s attributes makes it attractive to business and investment?
Mayor Song: Harbin is the capital of China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang. Covering an area of 53,100 square km, it has a population of 10.64 million. Its people live in eight districts and 10 counties. Among all of China’s provincial capitals, Harbin is the largest by area and the third-largest by population. As a major heavy industry base and one of China’s key breadbaskets, the city boasts several unique advantages.
We have launched a series of international trade and business platforms such as the China Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, and the Trade Fair of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. These occasions have expanded communication and cooperation with Russia on energy and high-tech industries. Now Harbin is applying to become a comprehensive free trade zone in order to facilitate the city’s becoming a rail, road and air logistics hub for northern China and Russia.
Harbin has unique advantages and experience in dealing with the Russian market. For Russian companies looking to expand into China, Harbin is a crucial first step. And Harbin has become the first choice city for companies from China and beyond looking to crack Russia.
The city is constantly busy improving itself. According to the newly released blueprint of the city, urban infrastructure has improved markedly in recent years. The city is now set to expand northward and southward along the banks of the Songhua River. This growth will be sustainable, rather than rapid and unchecked. The city’s counties will receive more developmental support. These new strategies will mine Harbin’s potential and create new business opportunities.
China Today: Tourism is obviously important for Harbin. Do you see tourism taking over from industry and high-tech manufacturing as the city’s main source of income? Do you see signs that the city’s workforce is abandoning traditional industries to seek out tourist dollars?
Mayor Song: It’s not a question of either/or. Harbin was traditionally a heavy industrial base with a highly skilled workforce. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Harbin developed into a heavy industrial base. During those early years, the city received ample assistance from the former Soviet Union in industry and technological know-how. Many successful companies were born in Harbin in that period. Enterprises such as Harbin Power Plant Equipment Corporation, Avic Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd and Harbin Bearing Manufacturing Co., Ltd became standard-bearers in their respective industries in China.
Today Harbin continues its proud tradition of technical and industrial competence. It is home to 49 colleges, 455 scientific and technological institutes and 283 key labs and engineering research centers. Over 400,000 specialists and professionals work in Harbin, and 37 of them have been appointed academicians by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering.
The city’s world-renowned centers of learning include the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin Engineering University, and the 703 Institute of the Harbin Ship Engineering College, which lead the country in technical majors such as welding, IT and robotics. These centers have contributed expertise to many of China’s key scientific projects, including the Shenzhou Spacecraft, the Chang’e lunar exploration project, and the Jiaolong manned submersible.
China Today: Our readers are interested in Harbin and I’m sure many would like to visit. Do you have any recommendations for prospective tourists?
Mayor Song: The reputation of our Ice and Snow Festival speaks for itself, so I don’t need to convince your readers to visit in winter. But summer in Harbin is just as beautiful as winter. Tourism activities run year-round. Harbin is international and its population is friendly. Harbin is dynamic, and ready to embrace the country and the world.
Tourists will find plenty to do in Harbin. But so will business guests and investors the world over. Businesses in Harbin are uniquely poised to take advantage of two massive markets: the Chinese and the Russian. We are an open city, and invite professionals to settle here. The indigenous workforce is also highly trained. But enough from me; come to Harbin, and see for yourselves!
