Harbin has a temperate monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. In summer, the highest temperature can reach over 30 degrees centigrade. In winter, the lowest temperature can drop down to 30 degrees below zero.

However, usually during daytime it is around 10 degrees below zero. Today it is 15 degrees below and it is considered one of the coldest days this winter. But don't wont', when we feel too cold, we can go inside any teahouse to drink some hot tea. Anyway, you will be safe with me.
Now 1'd like to tell you a bit of history about Harbin. Harbin is young and old. Excavations reveal that 20,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age, our ancestors began to live on this land. By the end of the 10th Century the Nuzhen nationality, the ancestor of the Manchu nationality, had settled here. They named the area of their settlement "Alejin", meaning "Honor" or "Fame" in the Nuzhen language. After years of evolution, Harbin has got its present name. However, Harbin, as a city, is very young. In 1896, the Russian Tzar forced the Qing government to sign an unequal agreement that allowed Russians to build a railway in Northeast China. This railway called China Eastern Railway linked to the Tmns-Siberia Railway in Russia. Harbin was chosen as the head-office. Starting from then, Harbin developed into a modem city. By the 1920s, Harbin had become the biggest financial and trading center in Northeast China. There were sixteen foreign consulates and hundreds of foreign establishments in Harbin. At a time when the population of Harbin was about half a million, foreign residents accounted for almost one third. You will soon find out that there are a lot of foreign influences left in Harbin.

We are now still in the suburban area of Harbin. This area provides the city with vegetables, meat and poultry, etc. Green houses can produce fresh vegetables even in deep winter.

Harbin is an industrial city. It is one of China's major industrial bases. In the past forty ears, Harbin has established a comprehensive and wide-ranging industrial system with mechanical and electrical industries as its mainstay. There are over 6,000 industrial enterprises in industries of petrol chemistry, automobile, foodstuff, textile, building materials, etc. Harbin is famed for its "Home of Power", which is derived from the three big plants: Harbin Electric Machinery plant, Harbin Boiler Plant and Harbin Steam Turbine Plant. They work together to turn out complete sets of equipment for power plants. So far equipment supplied by the these three plants has made up over one third of the country's total installed capacity. There are other industries famous in China. Harbin Linen Plant is the largest in Asia. Harbin also produces the best helicopters in China.