Harbin, China

Safety in Harbin, China
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

Ministry Summary

• This is a awesome opportunity for ministry. The area of Harbin has several large universities with students from all over China. They study english, and want to know more about American culture and the gospel, since they’ve actually heard of Jesus! Also, there are several American English professors who are Christians who would love for someone to take the students outside of class to talk about the gospel. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to work with Kingdergarten or Pre-school aged classes due to high Chinese priority on childcare- these might take a little extra prep work since they don’t allow just anyone off the stree. Safety first, but a great opportunity if you can get in- the child care places are EVERYWHERE!
• Big college student area with lots of opportunity for ministry. The students are very interested in American culture and LOVE Americans! It’s easy to connect with them. I’ve noticed they’re especially open to hearing about God and Jesus since they associate Him with American culture. Love the people!

Ministry Summary in Harbin, China
Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?

Lodging

• The Fu Shun Shang Du Complex in an apartment building where people can stay. Most rooms have a full size bed (with a hard mattress), a bathroom, and a small kitchenette with a fridge. You basically don’t use the kitchenette because the pots provided are sketchy and it’s hard to cook there. The fridge might also smell/not work so don’t count on it. 3-4 people stayed in one room and you can ask for extra twin mattresses for people to sleep on or they can use sleeping pads. There’s no wifi there but you can go to the mall across the street and get wifi at the cafes. Pay about $6/night and overall it is a  good deal.

Lodging in Harbin, China
Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.

Food / Meals

• Please go to Malaysian Coffee and Bun in the bottom of the the Kai Da Mall.  Olive and Sundae and her husband are great people to minister with. . A coffee or chocolate bun is 10 quai (sp?)
• Right behind that is Mellow Coffee (wifi!) Billy has GREAT English. Jude and Chou work there. Another great place ot make friends and people to minister to.
• Un Quart Pizza. It’s also super close to this mall. Look it up on the internet for directions. Alice who works there just started going church and has asked for a Bible. Please be her friend and minister to her 🙂
• Lots of small restaraunts to choose from, at many of them you can get a good sized dish for 8-12 qui that your team can share. Also some good street food all over that is very cheap. If invited to eat at a university, it is very, very, very cheap and good. Go to Dairy Fairy for some of the best ice cream in the world.
• Milk and Honey Land Cafe is a CHRISTIAN owned and operated coffee shop in the heart of Harbin right around the corner from Harbin Institute of Technology. The owners, Lucy and Chris, and AMAZING. Very generous with a servant’s heart and love for the Lord. You can  partner with them multiple times for ministry and they allow you to host an “English Corner” to allow students to come so that you can build relationships and share the Lord with them!!

Food / Meals in Harbin, China
What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).

Transportation

• The bus system in Harbin is very dependable and safe. Costs 1 yuan per person per trip. Very cheap. 
• Be aware of your belongings – wear your daypack on your front – especially when it’s really crowded.
• Be aware of when you need to get off though (what stop/station), – start making your way to the door – because when the buses get really crowded, people push their way to get to the door. After a few moments at the stop, the bus driver WILL shut the doors and start to drive off, regardless of whether you were able to get off or not.

Transportation in Harbin, China
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

Medical

Medical in Harbin, China
Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).

Communication

• If staying at Fu Shun Shang Du complex, the best place to get internet is in the Kai De Plaza (mall) next door. Several coffee shops have free wifi, but be sure to purchase something to be courteous.

Communication in Harbin, China
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

Financial

Financial in Harbin, China
Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.

Translators

• Our contact got us translators from near by colleges. You shouldn’t really have to worry about translators because there is a lot of people you speaks English. And you can get an app called iEase Tranlator and it will help get the point across.

Translators in Harbin, China
List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken

Off Days / Fun Activities

• Take an afternoon trip or picnic to Sun Island. It’s a beautiful park to people watch and lounge around at. You will find transportation (either a ferry for ~7 quai or a cable car ~80 quai) at the end of Central Street.
• Central Street is fun. Lots of shops and food. The Sofia Russian Orthodox Church is also there – a must see. Bus 94 will take you there from Fu Shun Shang Du complex.
• Tiger Park is a must…… It’s about an hour and a half away from the place we stayed but it is well worth it, and don’t forget to buy some Chickens there to fed the tigers. It costs 90 qui per person which is less then 20 USD.

Off Days / Fun Activities in Harbin, China
What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?

Other Important Contacts

• On the 6th floor of the apartments you stay in there is a small store (it is also where you go if you loose your key or get locked out). The lady that runs the store has two boys, Sam and Stephen-they also have a cousin named Grace who is often there and they will tell you she is their sister-offer to teach them english! It would be awesome if some boys helped with this! They love sports and have all sorts of questions. They will ask you about why you are there and ask you a lot about your faith. It is safe to answer their questions. Their mom is also interested! Their hearts are wide open! Seek them out please

• Please find Alice. She works at Quart Pizza (expensive but good and they have wifi.) She’s not a believer and comes from a poorer family, but she came to church with our team and seems interested in learning more. She’s super sweet and adorable and needs to be loved.
• Please make friends with Claire (Yan Yan). She works at the front counter of the hotel 8090. It was the next door over at our apartment next to Kai Da Mall. I shared my testimony with her and gave her a Bible. We prayed over her and she wept. She wants someone to keep teaching her English. Me and her met in mornings at KFC to have lessons. KFC seems to be open 24 hours so it works out so well.
• We also shared the gospel in two of Cindy Xu Yang’s classes at Lingong University. She is known as the best English teacher. If you have the translator, Simona, ask her about Cindy. She wants to know more about Jesus. She asks us many things about him. She is Buddhist. She had her family teach us how to make dumplings at her house one night. She lives right next to the Kai da Mall in an apartment just like ours and right next to ours. Room 1901. Ask me for any questions about them.

Other Important Contacts in Harbin, China
Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions

Tips

• You can get Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Amazon Instant Video or any American website normally blocked by downloading a VPN (virtual private network). However, you must download the VPN before arriving to China. For those who have Mac (iPod, iPhone, iPad, Macbook) or Android, you can get Tunnelbear, an app and software that allows you to trick the internet into thinking you are in America. 

• https://www.tunnelbear.com/

• Look for (sealed) jugs of water at small markets/shops instead of a larger supermarkets or grocery stores, we found 3.5L jugs for 4 qui instead of 8.50 qui at the supermarket.
  

Additional Info

Additional Info in Harbin, China
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?