St Sophia exterior

©Tom O'Malley/Lonely Planet

Church of St Sophia

Top choice in Harbin


The red-brick Russian Orthodox Church of St Sophia, with its distinctive green onion dome and roosting pigeons, is Harbin’s most famous landmark. Built in 1907 and expanded in 1932, it was the largest Orthodox church in the Far East and the centre of spiritual life for 100,000 Russian settlers. After surviving the Cultural Revolution it was used as a warehouse for a department store. Declared a protected landmark in the 1990s, the church was under renovation at the time of print due to damage caused by the resident pigeons; it is not known when it might reopen.

Go inside for an atmosphere of yesteryear, and browse the displays of old Harbin photographs. To continue your ecclesiastical explorations, you can take bus 8 from the east side of the square to St Alexeevsky Church.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Harbin attractions

1. Zhongyang Dajie

0.51 MILES

The cobblestone avenue of Zhongyang Dajie is the most obvious legacy of Russia's involvement with Harbin. Now a pedestrian-only zone running from Jingwei…

2. Harbin New Synagogue

0.52 MILES

This synagogue was built in 1921 by the city's Jewish community, the vast majority of whom had emigrated from Russia. Beautifully restored and converted…

3. Zhaolin Park

0.57 MILES

A pleasant green space in the heart of old Harbin, Zhaolin Park comes alive during the Harbin Ice & Snow Festival with its Ice Lantern Display. Tickets…

4. Harbin Main Synagogue

0.61 MILES

The beautiful old Main Synagogue, built in 1909, has been refurbished as a concert venue. You can buy tickets on-site to a variety of musical performances…

5. Jewish Middle School

0.61 MILES

Attached to the Harbin Main Synagogue, this was the first Jewish middle school in the Far East, and has been immaculately restored and reopened as the…

6. Flood Control Monument

0.88 MILES

This monument from 1958, set within a popular plaza beside the Songhua River and Stalin Park, commemorates the thousands of people who died in years past…

7. Stalin Park

0.92 MILES

Best seen illuminated at night, this tree-lined promenade, dotted with statues, historic buildings, playgrounds and cafes, runs along part of the 42km…

8. Temple of Bliss

1.82 MILES

Heilongjiang’s largest temple complex has an active Buddhist community in residence, giving it a genuine religious atmosphere despite the ticket sales…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/heilongjiang/haerbin/attractions/church-of-st-sophia/a/poi-sig/473374/356009",
      "destination": "Harbin",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "city": "Harbin",
      "position": "superzone"
    }