The local people of Harbin in Heilongjiang Province began to believe in Catholicism from the opening of trans-Siberian railway in the early 20th century when Canadian and French missionaries arrived in the city. The first Catholic Church was built in 1901 in Harbin and there were over 10,000 believers. During the Russian revolution, a large number of Jewish people went to Harbin and built Synagogues there. Due to these reasons, today visitors can find a lot of churches in Harbin, belonging to different religions.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin (or the Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God) is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East. Occupying an area of 721 square meters and standing at 53.3 meters, it is a former Russian Orthodox Church built in Neo-Byzantine style. The main hall is topped with a huge green tipped dome. In the sunlight, the church and the square it located look pretty like the Red Square in Moscow.

Chinese name: Shengsuofeiya Jiaotang (圣索菲亚教堂)

Location: the corner of Toulong Street and Zhaolin Street, Daoli district, Harbin

Transportation: take bus No.1, 2, 13, 15, 64, 66 or 113 and get off at Hayibai.

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