2024 Harbin Central Avenue/Saint Sophia Cathedral/The Memorial Tower of Fig Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in October)

Autumn in Harbin – A Leisurely Walking Tour in the City

In September, I visited Harbin to experience the city's atmosphere and slow-paced life. When I was planning my trip to Harbin, many people asked why I didn't wait until winter. Firstly, I am very afraid of the cold. If I am going to tour the city, most of it will be on foot, and it would be difficult for me to slowly appreciate the city's scenery in freezing weather. My previous experiences of traveling in the northern winter scared me, so I decided to enjoy the beauty of Harbin in autumn. City tours are unhurried. We visited major attractions, including Central Street, Songhua River, Hongzhuan Street Morning Market, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Zhongchuang Bookstore, Gogol Street, Harbin Museum, Heilongjiang Museum, and Zhonghua Baroque Street. My favorite was the Harbin Museum, not only because of its extensive collection of exhibits, both modern and nostalgic, but also because we had the rare opportunity to see the Celebrity Handwriting Gallery. In the gallery, we saw the handwriting of Hu Shi, Zhang Xueliang, Ba Jin, Xu Zhimo, Bing Xin, and others, which was very precious to us who grew up reading their works. We unknowingly spent three hours in the museum. Although Saint Sophia Cathedral is beautiful and offers musical performances inside, the Alekseyev Church on Gogol Street is also very attractive. The red church is very appealing, with fewer tourists, allowing for plenty of photo opportunities. Additionally, we ate as we walked, visiting Lu Yu and Yu Sheng Café. Their coffee, food, service, and environment were all very satisfying. Although I didn't see Harbin's beautiful winter, the autumn scenery was equally romantic and beautiful. I enjoyed walking slowly and appreciating its beauty.