Heilongjiang Provincial Museum

Heilongjiang Provincial Museum

The Heilongjiang Provincial Museum is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Heilongjiang Provincial Museum, originally named the Moscow Department Store, was first built in 1906 and is one of the earliest department stores in Harbin. Exactly ninety years ago, following the construction of Saint Nicholas Church in the central square of Nangang, the second building on the west side of the square—the Moscow Department Store—was erected. Placing the department store next to the sacred cathedral seemed to provide a leisure and shopping space for worshippers returning from mass, integrating both spiritual and material needs. As commercial establishments such as the Qiulin Trading Company (built starting in 1904 and completed in 1908) and Zhongshan Department Store of Qiulin Company were subsequently established, the area surrounding Nangang District’s central square became a veritable hub of rich cultural and commercial activity. The Moscow Department Store, due to its prime and strategic location and elegant appearance, became an important feature of the square. The expansive Moscow Department Store resembled a colorful red-and-yellow ribbon, delicately adorning the hem of the square. Whenever sunlight shone on the back of the building, vivid shadows were cast onto the square—the pointed domes, staggered contour lines, resembled the reflection of a dreamlike castle, adding a romantic touch to the plaza.

Because the building is situated at the west corner of the square, with Manzhouli Street to the left and Hongjun Street to the right today, the architectural layout and façade design had to take into consideration the visual effects on both streets. Therefore, both the plan and the elevation were meticulously designed. The building has a zigzag symmetrical floor plan, composed of three standard sections and two connecting volumes. The left and right wings facing Manzhouli Street and Hongjun Street each have five bays; the central part facing the square consists of two double-bay and one single-bay units, totaling three units; there is one corner connector at each of the two turning points, making up the entire building of fifteen bays. Interestingly, this layout makes the building resemble a cluster of shops along a commercial street, rather than a unified department store.

This is because each of the fifteen units has its own independent entrance and staircase, similar to the standard rooms in a hotel—once the door is closed, it forms a self-contained space. There is no connection between the units; to move from one to another, you must enter through separate entrances, ensuring mutual non-interference and independence. It’s hard to say whether this layout is reasonable or not. Its advantage lies in facilitating decentralized and independent operations, but it also has obvious drawbacks. Two years later, the Qiulin Trading Company was built with a completely different floor plan; as a comprehensive department store, it showed the early signs of a modern mall. When the Moscow Department Store was first built, each unit served a different function—there were fabric shops, enamel product stores, telegraph offices, and more. It wasn’t until June 1923 that the Museum affiliated with the Oriental Antiquities Research Association occupied part of the Moscow Department Store as exhibition space; in October 1923, the Puyu Middle School of the Chinese Eastern Railway was founded inside the Moscow Department Store (the predecessor of today’s Harbin No. 3 High School), and in 1924, once new school buildings were completed, the school promptly relocated. After liberation, the Moscow Department Store continued to be used as the Heilongjiang Provincial Museum. Having endured ninety years, what was once a department store is now a museum. Although its function has changed, the building remains as charming as ever.

Ticket: It is a free science and education exhibition hall. Visitors need to present a valid personal ID (such as an ID card, household register, passport, military ID, student ID, etc.) to collect a ticket.

Address: No. 50 Hongjun Street, Nangang District, Harbin.

Opening Hours: Summer hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:00); Winter hours: 9:00–16:00 (last entry at 15:00); Closed every Monday.

Transportation: Take bus routes 104, 108, 109, 10, 110, 117, 13, 16, 21, 55, 57, 58, 63, 64, 78, 7, or 86 and get off at the Museum stop.

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China