Getting There--Flightsconnect Harbin with Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, and Guangzhou; international routes include Hong Kong (one per week), Seoul (daily), and Niigata (Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun). TheTaiping International Airport (Taiping Guoji Jichang)is 30km (19 miles) south of central Harbin. An ICBC booth next to the international departures area on the second floor exchanges traveler's checks and cash. TheCAAC ticket office(Minhang Shoupiao Chu;tel.0451/8265-1188;fax 0451/8231-9343; domestic 6am-9pm, international 8am-4pm) is in a large white tiled building with a red roof, 4km (2 1/2 miles) south of the railway station at Zhongshan Lu 99. Anairport shuttle(50 min.; ¥20/$2.50) leaves the CAAC office every 30 minutes from 6am to 6pm.Taxisto the airport from downtown (¥60/$7.50) take between 40 minutes and an hour, depending on traffic. Leave early either way.
Harbin'smain railway station (Ha'erbin Zhan)is on Tielu Jie, between Nangang and Daoli districts. Trains depart from here for Beijing (8:37pm; 11 hr.; ¥281/$35), Dalian (9:09pm; 9 1/2 hr.; ¥224/$28), Shenyang (seven daily; 6 1/2 hr.; ¥139/$17), Qiqihar (10 daily; 4 hr.; ¥37/$5), and Manzhouli (6:48pm; 15 hr.; ¥188/$24). The ticket sales office is on the right side of the station (tel.0451/8690-2828); tickets can be bought 5 days in advance. For tickets to Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, visit theHarbin Railway International Travel Service(Ha'erbin Tiedao Guoji Luxingshe;tel.0451/5364-3264;open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm;) on the seventh floor of the Kunlun Hotel, west of the main station.CITS(Xidazhi Jie 13, west of Hongbo Guangchang; tel.0451/5366-7388;8:30am-5:30pm) and theHeilong Jiang Overseas Tourist Company(Heilong Jiang Haiwai Luyou Gongsi;11th floor of Hushi Dasha, on west side of railway station; tel.0451/5363-4000;fax 0451/5362-1088) sell tickets for theTrans-Siberian Railroad(2 weeks to process).
The centrallong-distance bus station (Changtu Keyun Zhan)is across from the railway station, in a renovated building next to the Bei Bei Hotel. Luxury air-conditioned buses go to Qiqihar (3 1/2 hr; ¥61/$7.50), Wu Da Lianchi (1:30pm; 5 1/2 hr.; ¥69/$9), and Beijing (5:30pm; 13 hr.; ¥249/$31). Regular buses go to Yanji (3:30pm; 9 hr.; ¥112/$14) and Dalian (4:40pm; 13 hr.; ¥178/$22). The ticket sales office is open from 5:30am to 6pm (luxury tickets at windows 7-11).
Getting Around-- Nearly everything of interest falls into one of two old districts -- Daoli and Nangang -- divided by the train tracks that run past the main station. The Songhua Jiang (Sungari River) forms the city's northern border and divides it from Taiyang Dao, a new island development area that seeks to imitate Pudong in Shanghai.
Taxisfall into two categories: Increasingly rare Xialis (¥7/90¢ for the first 3km/2 miles, then ¥1.60/20¢ per kilometer); and more expensive Jettas (¥8/$1 for first 3km/2 miles, then ¥1.90/25¢ per kilometer). A number of usefulbuses(¥1-¥2/15¢-25¢) stop at the railway station;bus no. 13goes from the station through the heart of Daoli.