Harbin · Neighbourhood ·
Songbei New District
松北 · Harbin's northern megaproject development zone — across the Songhua River on the northern bank, with the new Harbin Airport, the modern Songbei financial CBD, and the substantial Wanda Tourism City development.
About this neighbourhood
Songbei New District ("North of the Songhua River") was launched in the early 2010s as Harbin's principal post-2010 development zone — across the Songhua River from the historical city, with substantial post-2014 infrastructure investment.
The Wanda Tourism City complex, opened 2017, is one of the larger Wanda-developed entertainment-tourism complexes in China. The site includes the Wanda Indoor Ski Centre (one of the world's largest indoor ski venues, providing year-round skiing in a city with already-substantial winter outdoor skiing), the Wanda Water Park, the Wanda Movie Studios production complex, and a substantial hotel and convention complex.
The Harbin Songpu Airport (HRB), recently expanded with a new Terminal 2, is the principal regional gateway to Heilongjiang and the broader Russian-Far-East trade route. The airport sits on the western flank of Songbei and is connected to central Harbin by metro and substantial bus services.
The Songhua River north-bank wetlands, on the eastern flank of Songbei, are a substantial natural-history destination — substantial bird populations, river-edge walking trails, and seasonal ice fishing in winter. The wetlands are particularly active during the spring and autumn migration periods.
What to see
Wanda Tourism City (substantial commercial-and-entertainment complex including indoor ski centre and water park), Harbin Songpu Airport (the principal regional gateway, recently expanded), the Songhua River north-bank wetlands, the new Songbei Government building.
What to eat
Mall and tower-base international dining; northeastern-cuisine chains; emerging restaurant scene around the metro stations.
Transit
Metro Lines 2, 3 cross the Songhua River into Songbei; airport-shuttle bus services.
Where to stay
International conference hotels in the new CBD (Wanda Reign, Hilton, Crowne Plaza); service apartments in the surrounding residential blocks.
Hazards & notes
Distances are large; the district is pedestrian-unfriendly between widely-spaced developments. The Wanda Tourism City complex is substantial — pick a single sub-attraction per visit.