Harbin

Harbin, Wade-Giles romanization Ha-erh-pin, city, capital of Heilongjiang sheng (province), northeastern China. It is located on the south bank of the Sungari (Songhua) River. The site of the city is generally level to undulating, except near the river itself, where low bluffs lead down to the floodplain in places; low-lying areas are subject to flooding. The climate is cool, with cold winters that last four or five months; subzero overnight low temperatures are common and can reach −40 °F (−40 °C). Pop. (2003 est.) 2,735,100.