At noon, we arrived in Harbin and chose to have lunch at the restaurant atop the Dragon Tower. The Dragon Tower, also known as the “Heilongjiang Provincial Radio and Television Tower,” is an all-steel radio and television tower. Completed and opened in 2000, it stands 336 meters tall and was then the tallest steel structure tower in Asia and the second tallest in the world. It was designed by Professor Ma Renle, a steel structure expert from Tongji University, with a total investment of nearly 200 million RMB and a total material consumption of 3,100 tons. It was constructed by the Heilongjiang Provincial Power Transmission and Transformation Engineering Company.
On August 18, 2025, the Dragon Tower underwent an overall renovation and upgrade. A glass outdoor platform was added at 190 meters, along with a new high-altitude cloud walk attraction, and the metal railings of the outdoor observation deck were replaced with transparent glass. However, other parts were not renovated, so they still look very worn out.
The parking lot below the tower is quite large, making parking convenient. The restaurant is a revolving restaurant. If you purchase a package online, you need to verify and exchange your ticket on the first floor, and then use the ticket to go up the tower. All packages include a Dragon Tower sightseeing ticket. After passing through the turnstiles, you can take the elevator directly to 186 meters, where the restaurant is also located. This floor arguably offers the best view. If you are not dining, you can only continue climbing the stairs to other floors. The outdoor observation platform at 190 meters upstairs is open-air, and the wind is really strong. The areas at 203 meters and 206 meters are indoors and rather cramped. At 203 meters, the two layers of glass for viewing are far apart, making it difficult to take photos. The 206-meter level is a prayer space. Then you need to walk down to 181 meters, where there is a circular glass skywalk, but shoe covers are only included if you buy a full-price ticket; otherwise, you have to spend 10 yuan to buy them 🤔…. Overall, if you’re just going up the tower without dining, I wouldn’t recommend it much—the facilities and maintenance are mediocre, and you have to climb the stairs yourself.
As for the restaurant, generally speaking, it’s pretty good. The revolving restaurant rotates very slowly. Because it revolves, you can’t place personal belongings on the windowsill, or they will be rotated away to somewhere else. The locations of the kitchen and restrooms are also not fixed. The environment is indeed quite old, and the decor is very casual. As for the service, it exudes the vibe of a state-run establishment. Fortunately, the prices are acceptable, the dishes come out relatively quickly, and they serve both Western and Chinese cuisine. The taste and ingredients are better than expected, and combined with this view, it’s worth the price.
Then in the evening, we went to Central Street and Saint Sophia Cathedral. Since it was during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, there were still a lot of people—you could say it was packed like sardines. The commercial atmosphere is indeed very strong, and there are many foreign tourists.
Central Street starts at Xinyang Square in Daoli District to the south and ends at Flood Control Monument Square by the Songhua River to the north. It is paved with square stone bricks (commonly known as “bread stones”) and is 1,450 meters long and 21.34 meters wide. There are 71 European-style buildings along the entire street, incorporating Renaissance, Baroque, Eclectic, and various modern styles, giving it a strong European flair. Renovated in 1996, Central Street became China’s first commercial pedestrian street and has since served as a model for pedestrian streets in many cities across China.
Saint Sophia Cathedral is the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the Far East. The cathedral has now been converted into the Harbin Architectural Art Gallery and no longer serves religious functions. After undergoing multiple destructions and restorations throughout history, it finally became what it is today,
Support
Read this article on WeChat