In this post, I’m going to describe what my week in Harbin taught me. I visited two archives, as well as the libraries, museums, cemeteries and talked to several local scholars. How successful my research trip is deemed, depends on the perspective I choose. If I compared it to more accessible archives in Europe or the U.S. it’s easy to see it as a failure. But if you consider the general level of restrictions in Dongbei archives, you might see why I think I made some achievements. Overall, it was a great time spent in a unique Sino-Russian environment, where the legendary Northeastern cold climate seemed to suspend its business-as-usual, allowing me to enjoy six days of mostly sunny and mild weather.
1) “Chinese Baroque” (中华巴洛克) streetview in Daowai 道外 (ex-Fujiadian 傅家甸) district; 2) St. Sophia Cathedral (Софийский собор); 3) Evening view of the Kitaiskaia Street (Китайская улица/中央大街)
