# Stalin Park, Harbin > Stalin Park is Harbin's free 1.75 km riverside promenade on the south bank of the Songhua. At its centre, where Central Street ends, stands the 1958 Flood Control Monument. Open 24 hours daily. Allow about an hour; in summer the ferry and cable car cross to Sun Island, and in winter ice slides open on the frozen river. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/stalin-park - City: [Harbin](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin), China - YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: 24 hours, every day - Length: 1.75 km along the south bank of the Songhua - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour; half a day with the cable car and Sun Island - Metro: Line 2, Zhongyang Street (中央大街) station, then a 20–25-minute walk north along Central Street - Cable car to Sun Island: ≈ ¥58–60 one way, ¥96–100 return; children under 1.2 m free - Ferry to Sun Island: ≈ ¥2 from the pier opposite the monument, warm season only - Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, or cash - Address: 3 Stalin Street (斯大林街3号), Daoli District - Coordinates: 45.77869, 126.61132 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Free** — to walk the promenade at any hour — there are no gates or ticket booths (source: Russian Wikipedia; icefestivalharbin.com) - **1.75 km** — length of the park, a ribbon along the Songhua flood embankment (source: Russian Wikipedia; tour-beijing.com; icefestivalharbin.com) - **22.5 m** — height of the Flood Control Monument (some guides say about 13 m) (source: English Wikipedia; Wikidata; icefestivalharbin.com) - **1953** — the park was laid out, first named Riverside (Jiangpan) Park (source: Russian Wikipedia; tour-beijing.com; Wikidata) - **1958** — the monument was completed, marking the city's 1957 flood-control effort (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata) - **20 columns** — Corinthian columns form the semicircular colonnade around the tower (source: English Wikipedia; icefestivalharbin.com) - **Water marks** — the 1932 and 1957 flood levels are marked on the fountain pools in front of the monument (source: English Wikipedia; icefestivalharbin.com) - **1,156 m** — length of the cable car across the Songhua to Sun Island (source: dahepiao.com; Qunar; eastchinatrip.com gives about 1,000 m) - **1911–1912** — the wooden yacht club over the water was built — now a protected city landmark (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (1912)) - **1937** — the Jiangpan Restaurant, a colourful Russian-style wooden building, was completed (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (1930s)) ## Is Stalin Park free, and when is it open? Yes — Stalin Park is **free and open 24 hours**, every day. It isn't a gated park but a 1.75 km promenade along the flood embankment, so you can walk in anywhere along the riverfront. You only pay for extras: the cable car or ferry to Sun Island in summer, and rides on the river ice in winter. Most people arrive at the centre, the square with the Flood Control Monument at the north end of [Central Street](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-central-street), and walk a stretch of the river in either direction. An hour covers the monument and a decent riverside stroll. > **In winter, stay on the organised ice** From December to February the Songhua freezes and slides, rinks and sleigh rides open on the ice below the promenade. Only walk on the fenced-off areas with staff and ticket booths — nobody checks the ice beyond them. The ferry stops in winter, and the cable car can pause in strong wind. ## The Flood Control Monument The Harbin Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower (防洪胜利纪念塔) went up in 1958 to mark how residents built up the embankments and held back the Songhua in the summer of 1957. It's **22.5 m** tall according to English Wikipedia and Wikidata; some travel guides say about 13 m, probably measuring the column alone. A sculpture group with a flag crowns the tower, and a relief of embankment builders wraps its body. Around it curves a colonnade of **20 Corinthian columns**, ending in stone walls with more reliefs. The fountain pools in front carry marks of the 1932 and 1957 water levels. According to English Wikipedia, it has been a protected city landmark since 1995, when floodlighting was also added. ## How to get to Stalin Park 1. Take Metro Line 2 to **Zhongyang Street (中央大街)** — two stops from Harbin Railway Station, three from Museum (博物馆, interchange with Line 1). 2. Come up at the south end of Central Street and walk north towards the river: about 1.45 km, 20–25 minutes without stopping. 3. The street ends at the monument square — the centre of Stalin Park. Climb the steps onto the embankment for the riverside path. 4. For the cable car, walk about 600 m west along the promenade (8–10 minutes) to the lower station by Tongjiang Street (通江街). The ferry pier is opposite the monument. 5. By taxi: book DiDi inside Alipay and show the driver 防洪纪念塔 (Flood Control Monument) — you'll be dropped at the square. ## Cable car and ferry to Sun Island Two ways cross from the promenade to [Sun Island](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-sun-island). The **cable car** runs about 1,156 m over the Songhua from Tongjiang Square; unofficial listings put it at ¥58–60 one way and ¥96–100 return, with children under 1.2 m free. Published hours differ — roughly 9:00–22:00 in summer, shorter at other times of year. The **ferry** costs about ¥2 from the pier opposite the monument. It's cheaper and still gives you the river, but only runs in the warm months before the Songhua freezes. Check fares and times on the spot. ## What to see along the promenade - **The monument and colonnade** — best shot from the middle of the square facing the river, or after dark when it's lit. - **The riverside path** — west towards the cable car, east towards the old railway bridge. - **The 1911–1912 wooden yacht club** — Russian country-style pavilions, partly built out over the water. - **Jiangpan Restaurant (江畔餐厅), 1937** — a colourful wooden building serving beer, sausage, bread and kvass. - **White statues** of athletes, swimmers and young pioneers along the path. - **Views across to Sun Island** and the cable car cabins gliding over the water. - In winter, **snow sculptures** along the promenade and an ice park on the river. ## Stalin Park in winter In winter the promenade becomes one of the stages of Harbin's ice season. Snow sculptures line the path, and on the frozen river below the **Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival** (松花江冰雪嘉年华) sets up slides, horse sleighs, ice bikes, snowmobiles and skating. Last season it opened on 25 December with nearly 60 activities, according to Xinhua. Unofficial sources say entry to the ice grounds has been free in past seasons, with rides paid separately; rules and prices change every year. For the full ice city, head to [Ice and Snow World](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/ice-and-snow-world) on the north bank. ## Is Stalin Park worth visiting? Yes, if you're already walking Central Street: the promenade is its natural finish line, it costs nothing and the monument is one of Harbin's emblems. An hour gets you photos at the colonnade, a riverside walk and, if you like, a crossing to the island. Don't make a special trip for the park alone — it's a promenade, not a museum. It's at its best on a summer evening, when the riverbank is busy and cool, or on a winter day with the ice carnival running. Between seasons, when the ferry has stopped and the ice hasn't formed, it's quieter. ## Summer vs winter on the promenade | | Summer | Winter | | --- | --- | --- | | The river | Open water, pleasure boats | Ice, with the carnival below the promenade | | To Sun Island | Ferry or cable car | Cable car; no ferry | | What to do | Walk, fountain at the monument, evenings by the water | Snow sculptures, slides, sleighs | | Time needed | ≈ 1 hour, half a day with the island | 1–2 hours with the ice activities | | Park entry | Free | Free; rides on the ice are paid | Summer is for evening walks and crossing to the island; winter is for the ice. Either way the promenade itself is free. > **How to pay** The cable car, ferry and ice rides are paid by QR code. Before you arrive, set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and link your foreign Visa or Mastercard with your passport. Carry some small yuan notes as backup — sellers must accept cash but may be short of change — and keep mobile data on: QR payment doesn't work offline. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay set up with a foreign card, a few small yuan notes - [ ] 防洪纪念塔 saved on my phone for taxi drivers - [ ] Summer: decided on ferry or cable car to Sun Island - [ ] Winter: thermal layers, hat, mittens and a spare power bank - [ ] An hour for the promenade, half a day more for Sun Island - [ ] Back after dark to see the monument lit up ## Harbin by the water: compare and choose Every riverside place in Harbin rated by YesGo. - [Stalin Park and Flood Control Monument](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/stalin-park) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Harbin Grand Theatre](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-grand-theatre) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Outside free; inside ≈ ¥19.9 - [Sun Island](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-sun-island) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Park free; winter Snow Expo ticketed ## Old Harbin and the river in a day St Sophia Cathedral, Central Street down to the river, the promenade and monument, then the cable car to Sun Island. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-st-sophia-cathedral) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Square free, inside ≈ ¥25 2. [Central Street](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-central-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free 3. [Stalin Park and Flood Control Monument](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/stalin-park) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 4. [Sun Island](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-sun-island) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Park free; winter Snow Expo ticketed ## Good to know You'll see the monument as Flood Control Monument, Flood Control Memorial Tower or 防洪纪念塔 — all the same place, at the north end of Central Street. Some guides mention a “Flood Control Monument” metro station; there's no such stop on Line 2 — use Zhongyang Street. Unofficial reports say repairs to the square and the monument's stonework are being prepared, so part of the square may be fenced off. ## Tips - Walk Central Street south to north so you finish at the monument and the river. - Come back after dark: the colonnade is floodlit and makes a better photo than at midday. - In summer, take the cable car one way for the view and the ferry back to save money. - In winter, only step onto the ice inside the carnival's fenced areas. - For a snack, try the wooden Jiangpan Restaurant in the park — sausage, bread and kvass. - Carry on to Sun Island across the river — give it another half day. ## Questions ### Is Stalin Park in Harbin free? Yes. The promenade has no gates or tickets. You only pay for the cable car, the ferry and rides on the ice in winter. ### What are Stalin Park's opening hours? It's an open riverside promenade, accessible 24 hours a day, every day. The cable car keeps daytime and evening hours that vary by season. ### How do I get to Stalin Park by metro? Line 2 to Zhongyang Street (中央大街), then walk north along Central Street for 20–25 minutes until it ends at the river and the monument. ### Where is the Flood Control Monument in Harbin? At the north end of Central Street, in the middle of Stalin Park on the Songhua River embankment, in Daoli District. ### How much is the cable car to Sun Island? Unofficial listings give ¥58–60 one way and ¥96–100 return; children under 1.2 m ride free. The lower station is about 600 m west of the monument. ### Is there a ferry from Stalin Park to Sun Island? Yes, in the warm season, from the pier opposite the monument — about ¥2 by unofficial accounts. It doesn't run once the river freezes. ### What is there to do at Stalin Park in winter? Snow sculptures along the promenade and the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival on the frozen river — slides, sleighs, skating. Rides are paid separately. ### Is Stalin Park worth visiting? Yes, as the end of a Central Street walk — it's free and the monument is a Harbin icon. It's not worth a separate trip on its own. ### How long do you need at Stalin Park? About an hour for the monument and a riverside walk; half a day if you add the cable car and Sun Island. ## How we checked The English core comes from search results and related questions. The park's length, the 1953 and 1958 dates, the colonnade and the water marks are checked against at least two sources. The monument's height differs: 22.5 m in English Wikipedia, Wikidata and icefestivalharbin.com, about 13 m in Russian Wikipedia and tour-beijing.com — we show 22.5 m and mention the other figure. We found no official site for the park or the cable car, so cable car and ferry fares and hours are unofficial. We leave out bus numbers and the “Flood Control Monument” metro station given by some guides — Line 2 has no such station. The walk to the cable car is measured on OpenStreetMap. The planned repairs come from a single unofficial source. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Harbin Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower; Line 2 (Harbin Metro); Russian Wikipedia: Парк имени Сталина - Chinese Wikipedia: 江畔餐厅、公园餐厅; 哈尔滨游艇俱乐部旧址; Wikidata Q4345309 and Q10922178 - icefestivalharbin.com: Stalin Park — hours, length, monument, ferry, winter activities (unofficial) - tour-beijing.com: Harbin Stalin Park — history and length - Xinhua, 25.12.2025 — opening of the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival - dahepiao.com, 26.06.2025; Qunar; eastchinatrip.com — cable car length, fares and hours (unofficial) - samokatus.ru, 25.08.2025 — ferry to Sun Island (unofficial); OpenStreetMap — location of the cable car's lower station --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.