Stalin Park

Stalin Park is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Harbin. Built in 1953, it currently stands as an evidence of the friendship between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union at that time.
 
Stalin Park is located on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Extending 1,750 meters from the Songhua River railway bridge to the east and Jiuzhan Park to the west, it is a belt-shaped open park built along the riverbank. Facing the famous Sun Island on the other side of the river and covering an area of 105,000 square meters, the park is characterized by Russian style flower beds and sixteen groups of art sculptures and is lavishly vegetated with flowers and trees. For the Chinese, although the water is a good example of the state of China's rivers: less than clean. This place is very popular with the locals on the weekends.
 
Stalin Park features a spread of flowerbeds, trees and themed statues. At the center of the park stands the Flood Control Monument built to commemorate the tremendous feat of the Harbin people in controlling the massive flood of 1957. It is the central attraction of the Stalin Park, where tourists and locals alike, all gather to enjoy a nice, sunny day in the park.
 
The 13-meter tall monument consists of one Roman style column topped with statues and a 7-meter-long curving corridor surrounding the column. Eleven small, semi-circular pools near the column mark the water level reached by the flood. More than four decades later another flood broke the monument's record, so the site was added onto to remember the victims of 1998's disastrous flood.

Stalin Park is also a good place for entertainment, sport or cultural and social activities. Gymnasium, youth palace, swimming pool and river clubs were built there to cater to different people. In summer, you can see thousands upon thousands of people swim in the Songhua River or lie on the river beach, saturate in sunshine. In winter, the park is designated as one of the venues of the yearly Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. The locals and tourists enjoy all kinds of ice and snow activities there, while the artists from all over the world would spend some days to finish their great ice or snow sculptures.

Stalin park is open all the time, and its admission fee is free. You can catch No.11 bus from the train station to get there. Also, you can take buses No.2, No.8, No.9, No.12, No.13, No.15, No.16, No.20, No.23, No.26, No.64, No.79, No.83, No.85, No.101, No.102, No.103, No.113 and No.114 to the bank of the Songhua River and then walk several minutes to the park.