Harbin: "Music City" Title Awarded by UNESCO
Harbin, in 2010, successfully earned the prestigious title of "Music City" from UNESCO, becoming the only city in China and all of Asia to receive this honor. This recognition was bestowed upon the city for its century-long symphonic history and the fifty-year legacy of the "Harbin Summer Music Concerts." The title signifies the importance of music in the city's development and urban identity, aligning Harbin with other notable music cities such as Vienna, Bologna, Seville, Glasgow, and Ghent. As China’s century-old music city, Harbin has always developed in harmony with music and is widely known as the "City of Music." https://www.chinaexpeditiontours.com/
Music has played a key role in making Harbin famous. The United Nations awarded Harbin the "Music City" title as an acknowledgment of its long-standing orchestral tradition and its hosting of the "Harbin Summer Music Concerts," which is the longest-running music festival in China. This prestigious title is a clear recognition of Harbin’s relentless commitment to spiritual inheritance and cultural promotion.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway and the migration of a large number of Russians and Eastern European Jews brought Harbin both cultural diversity and the musical enlightenment of the West. In 1898, the first piano arrived in Harbin as part of the railway project. A year later, the Czech Elmoré Band held Harbin’s first symphony concert.
In 1908, China’s first symphonic orchestra was founded in Harbin, performing Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture" – marking China’s first-ever symphonic concert. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra was considered one of the best in the Far East, attracting world-class singers and orchestras to perform in the city.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Harbin’s musical landscape continued to flourish. Since its inception in 1961, the "Harbin Summer Music Concerts" has become the longest-running national music event in China. Starting from the 23rd edition, it has been co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China and the Harbin Municipal Government.
The concert series not only enjoys a prestigious reputation across Asia but has also become a member of the Executive Committee of the Asian Arts Festival Alliance, further enhancing Harbin’s international influence in the music world. https://www.chinaexpeditiontours.com/china-tours/
Completed in 2015, the Harbin Grand Theatre stands out with its unique and innovative design. It has been hailed by both domestic and international media as one of the "most beautiful music buildings in the world."
