Charming Harbin

Author: A Cheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In A Cheng's The Roving Soul of Harbin, with light brushstrokes, a landscape of the city is depicted, evoking imagination and nostalgia. As one strokes the passage of time, savoring the flavors of history and culture, A Cheng writes in the preface: "A city has two qualities—one is the city in reality, another is the city in memory. Actually, there is a third kind of city—the city of ideals. If these three are combined, it should be a city of a person, A Cheng's city, the city depicted by A Cheng, and A Cheng's ideal city." Therefore, Harbin in A Cheng's portrayal is a city with a distinct personality, a city brimming with exotic charm, elegance, and grace. As soon as one enters this city, they can follow the aroma of scallions from sizzling pots, the melodies of accordion, clarinet, and piano, and gradually experience the culture and history of the city, feeling the local civilization, traditions, and customs, as well as the traces left by émigrés and gold seekers. Crossing the Songhua River through the city, the river shimmers with the dreams of the past; the cobblestones of Central Street are worn smooth by the winds of yesterday; the bells of St. Sophia Cathedral echo the prayers of bygone days. There are also the railway station, parks, Western restaurants, pillars, railings, Sun Island, ice lanterns, elms, lilac flowers, bread, sausages, and pickles—these keywords of Harbin's charm condense the turmoil of the times and the emotions of the years. At a glance, at a listen, vivid memories are formed, an imagination and emotion stirred by synesthesia—melancholic, profound. Harbin is an urbane city. In the early 20th century, it was called "the Moscow of the East" and "the Little Paris of the Far East" by travelers from over a dozen countries, further highlighting its unique character and temperament. As a city of émigrés, especially those Russian émigrés with deep nostalgia for their homeland, Harbin was deliberately mistaken for home. As a result, the modern railway station, the cobblestone streets, the standalone Russian-style cottages, and the towering Orthodox churches—all bear a Russian flavor. Walking through the streets of Harbin, every building, every house, reveals the essence of European, North American, and Asian architecture in their design, color, and decoration, reflecting the trends of contemporary architectural thought. Thus, it can be said that Harbin is a city "alienated" by foreign cultures.