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Harbin is the capital of the northernmost province of China,
Heilongjiang. It owes its development primarily to the railroad
linking China with Siberian Russia, and has been a major trading
outpost between the two countries since the 1930s. Recently
the incessant demand for power in China has led to a huge
increase in the production of fossil fuels. Both Russia and
northeastern China are rich in natural resources, and it is
this region that is literally fuelling the Chinese boom. Harbin
is not only a major supplier of fossil fuels, the city is
also at the forefront of power station construction technology.
Power stations all over China have been designed and constructed
by Harbin companies, often in collaberation with Harbin Institute
of Technology, the leading Chinese research centre in this
field.
The Russian influence on the city can be felt in other ways.
Many government buildings and hotels still use buildings built
around the Russian period of occupation (1900-05 and 1945-47)
and there are some attractive Russian churches dotted around
the city. It is not unusual for white foreigners to be greeted
in Russian, as the language is spoken by many of the older
generation of Harbiners. They have an affectionate term for
the Russian visitors - "laomaozi", which literally
means "old hairies".
The city also experienced a period of Japanese occupation
from 1932 to 1945. It was during this period that the railroads
crisscrossing northeastern China were developed. However the
Japanese army left a bitter legacy in its wake, and relations
between the two nations still suffer from the damage caused
during this period.
As Harbin grows it undergoes constant transformation and
modernization. Construction sites operate 24 hours a day,
and the city's suburbs gobble up more of the surrounding agricultural
land every month. The Peace International Airport links Harbin
with all major mainland Chinese cities, and also provides
direct flights to Japan, Korea, Russia and Hong Kong. There
are also two flights a week to Los Angeles, stopping off in
Shanghai. The city is home to over 100 W.F.O.E. (Wholly Foreign-Owned
Enterprises), the most famous being Nestle, which produces
powdered milk here.
Harbin is also well known for the quality of its universities.
In addition to Energy Management related courses, the above-mentioned
Harbin Institute of Technology is considered the leading Chinese
university in the fields of Aerospace Engineering and Robotics.
Heilongjiang University has the best Russian Language faculty
in the nation and its Chinese Literature courses are also
well respected. If you wish to study at one of the universities
here in Harbin H.Y.C.C. provides a comprehensive support network,
enabling you to make the most of your study abroad experience.
Click here
to take a look at the ARAQ Foreign Study Courses section of
our website.
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