Zhongyang Street Pedestrian Street

Zhongyang Street Pedestrian Street

The most “foreign-flavored” street in Harbin is undoubtedly Zhongyang Street (formerly known as China Street). Those who haven’t been to Moscow, Paris, Rome, or Greece can still experience the architectural charm of these cities on this street.

Called a foreign street, it naturally has a “foreign history.” In 1898, Harbin began large-scale construction of railways and urban development. A massive influx of laborers from inland areas and neighboring provinces poured into Harbin. The original riverside area was an ancient waterway, covered in desolate and low-lying marshland. Horse-drawn carts transporting railway materials carved out a dirt path through the mud — this became the prototype of Zhongyang Street. The Chinese Eastern Railway Engineering Bureau then allocated the riverside wasteland to the scattered Chinese residents in Harbin. By 1900, it had formed what was called “China Street,” meaning the street where Chinese people lived. The narrow street was flanked by gutters, paved with wooden or iron boards for pedestrians to walk on. Wooden bridges were erected at each intersection, and the street was frequented by horse-drawn carriages. On sunny days, dust filled the air; on rainy days, it turned into a muddy mess. With the establishment of the port area, Russian shops began to appear more frequently. Their signs were mostly in Russian, and they sold miscellaneous goods and repaired watches. Though called “China Street,” the buildings on both sides were predominantly European-style, and commerce was largely run by foreigners, making it feel like a foreign city.

In May 1924, under the design and supervision of Russian engineer Kondratyuk, the stones used to pave China Street were replaced with granite blocks, instantly lending the street an air of elegance. At that time, there were countless foreign shops on China Street — pharmacies, restaurants, hotels, bars, dance halls, and more. Among them, the Harbin branch of the Tudor department store and the Modern Hotel were quite famous throughout the Far East. On this, the most fashionable street in Harbin, one could find Russian furs, British woolens, French perfumes, German medicines, Japanese cotton fabrics, American kerosene, Swiss watches, Javanese sugar, Indian jute bags, as well as fresh and dried fruits from around the world — comparable to an international trade fair.

In July 1928, China Street was officially renamed “Zhongyang Street.” Today’s Zhongyang Street stretches 1,400 meters from the Flood Control Monument Plaza by the river in the north to Xinyang Square in the south. It is 11 meters wide, with sidewalks ranging between 2 to 6 meters in width. The original smooth granite block pavement remains. There are nearly 200 commercial and food service outlets along the street, forming a comprehensive and well-equipped business service center. Especially in recent years, shops have renovated their facades, adding gold trim, silver details, and festive lighting, making Zhongyang Street even more magnificent. It has become Harbin’s most famous and distinctive commercial street. In 1997, the Harbin municipal government designated Zhongyang Street as a pedestrian street, further enhancing its charm.

Harbin’s Zhongyang Street Pedestrian Street is a prominent representation and iconic landmark of the city. In 1986, the Harbin Municipal People's Government designated Zhongyang Street Pedestrian Street as a protected street. On June 1, 1997, it was transformed into the country’s first commercial pedestrian street.

In 1998, Zhongyang Street Pedestrian Street received honors such as “National Model Street of Ten Thousand Stores Without Counterfeit Goods” and “National Youth Civilization Number” demonstration base. In March 2006, it was recognized as an advanced unit in the national “Ten Thousand Stores Without Counterfeit Goods” campaign by eight central ministries. In April 2006, it was awarded the “China Habitat Environment Example Award” by the National Ministry of Construction. During the first “Top Ten Harbin City Icons” selection event in 2006, Zhongyang Street was named an icon of Harbin. In 2008, it was listed among the “Top Ten Scenic Spots in Harbin.”

The Zhongyang Street Pedestrian Area is the country’s first open, public-oriented architectural art museum, known as the “Zhongyang Street Architectural Art Museum — a collection of century-old architectural styles and a gathering of global artistic essence.” Covering a total area of 94.05 hectares, or about 1 square kilometer, the protected, historical, and characteristic buildings along Zhongyang Street and its side streets serve as natural exhibits open to visitors. The Zhongyang Street Architectural Art Museum currently features 75 European-style and European-inspired buildings, including 36 various protected structures, 17 of which are located on the main street. It showcases some of the most influential Western architectural styles in history, including the Renaissance style from the 15th–16th centuries, Baroque from the 17th century, Eclecticism from the 18th century, and Art Nouveau from the 19th century. These styles collectively encapsulate a century of Western architectural excellence. From a historical and developmental perspective, architectural styles that took centuries to evolve in the West emerged in just two or three decades on Zhongyang Street — a true marvel in the history of world architecture.

Zhongyang Street is 1,450 meters long and 21.34 meters wide, with the central road paved with granite blocks stretching 10.8 meters in width. Its most distinctive feature is the entire street being paved with granite blocks. In May 1924, Russian engineer Kondratyuk designed and supervised the repaving of “China Street” with granite slabs, laid out along a width of 10 sagene — a Russian unit of measurement where 1 sagene equals 2.134 meters. Each granite slab used measured 18 cm in length, 10 cm in width, and resembled a small Russian bread loaf in shape and size. The stone surface was smooth, round, exquisitely crafted, tightly compacted, bright, and polished — extremely rare in the history of roads both in China and abroad. It’s said that each granite block cost as much as a silver dollar at the time. With the main section of “China Street” being about 1 kilometer long, it’s estimated that roughly 870,000 granite blocks were used — truly a road paved in gold.

“If you haven’t been to Zhongyang Street, you can’t say you’ve been to Harbin.” This is the verdict of travelers from home and abroad. Indeed, Zhongyang Street is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Harbin.