Central Street  is a pedestrian-only cobblestone street more than a kilometer (about a mile) long lined with stores, restaurants, old architecture dating from the Russian era, and malls. Central Street was part of the original town built by the Russians about 110 years ago. It was first called Chinese Street. You'll find some shops with Russian products, international restaurants, and two mega markets, Walmart and the French Carrefour, that are located at the end of Central Street. The street is said to be the prettiest street in Harbin, and during the winter you can enjoy a dog sled or a horse sled ride. It is an easy shopping and dining highlight in the area.

　　Location

Central Street is in the old central district of Harbin. Harbin itself is in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The city is in China's northernmost province, and it is north of North Korea. Its international airport is a two hour flight away from Beijing. Travel from the airport to the street by taxi takes about 45 minutes. It is an overnight train ride away from Beijing.

　　History

When the town was first built by the Russians to service a railroad route they built around the turn of the 20th century, this was one of the main streets. It was originally called "Chinese Street". The street was a central avenue in a cosmopolitan city with people from thousands of countries. So you'll see a variety of architectural styles on the street and nearby. This was a center for Jews in Asia, and the city was a refuge for Jews, "White" Russians, Mennonites, and people of other groups in Europe and Asia where they could freely practice their religion and build their own businesses and industry. The city had Jewish buildings, many Russian Orthodox churches, and buildings of other religious groups. Many of these buildings can still be seen in the area.