Beating the heat

Saint Sophia Catherdral was restored in 1997 and is a famous city landmark.[Photo/China Daily]

Harbin is one cool china city offering relief during the hottest season

Harbin is world famous for its ice and snow extravaganza. But its summer charm could be the best-kept secret in the tourism industry. This doesn't include the weather, which is mild and hardly needs air conditioning at night. Here are five things you can do in Harbin, not just to escape the heat wave but also to bask in the fun that only China's northeasternmost provincial capital (of Heilongjiang province) can offer.

1. Central Pedestrian Street

Spend half a day to walk along the 1,450-meter-long Central Pedestrian Street. It is Harbin's equivalent of Paris' Champs Elysees, although not as wide (it's about 22 meters). If you are an architecture expert, you'll be able to pinpoint the origins of the buildings that flank the street.

As a matter of fact, the street leading to the obelisk in commemoration of flood control by the Songhua River incorporates styles from Baroque to Art Nouveau. Lovingly restored to their former grandeur, the buildings along this corridor of architectural diversity offer the most vibrant commerce and the best people-watching opportunities in town.

And feel the road's surface while walking. What appear to be pebbles are actually 18-cm long granite slabs inserted into the ground and were designed by a Russian engineer to withstand wear and tear - and the harsh winter weather - for at least 200 years.

Harbin is a rare Chinese city where you can encounter musicians performing on the street who are not organized by the government for special functions. (Some are sponsored by businesses, though.)

2. Saint Sophia Cathedral

Ramble around and inside Saint Sophia Cathedral, located in downtown Harbin. The Russian Orthodox church was built in 1907 and rebuilt in 1923. It is a lonely reminder of the time when more than a dozen Russian churches dotted the city landscape. Now stripped of its religious function but largely refurbished - by clearing the neighborhood for a 7,000-sq-meter plaza, but not repainting the interior - it houses a museum that displays photos and miniatures of old Harbin in a mythical haze. Since its restoration in 1997, the green-domed red-brick, byzantine structure has become a city landmark.