Harbin

Harbin (pop. 2,830,000), city in northeast China on the Sungari River, capital of Heilongjiang province. Established by Russia as a railroad administration center (1895), Harbin once had a large European population. It was controlled by China and Japan jointly after the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5) and was occupied by Japan 1932–45. Still a major railway center, it is also an important port and a center for the Manchurian machinery, chemical, oil, and coal industries.

See also: China.