Front view St Sophia
Located in the historic district of Daoli, St Sophia is one of a number of protected cultural relics to be found in and around Harbin. One of the few Orthodox Churches to survive the ravages of the Cultural Revolution, it has now been beautifully restored and houses the Haerbin Architecture Arts Centre. The church has four floors and is accessible by a door on each side. Until the 1960's, the bell tower over the entrance housed 7 bells of different sizes and tones. in the past, when there were religious festivals , a well-trained ringer would play musical progressions, tolling the bells with ropes tied to his hands and feet. The church has four floors and is accessible by a door on each side. Until the 1960's, the bell tower over the entrance housed 7 bells of different sizes and tones. In the past, when there were religious festivals, a well-trained ringer would play musical progressions, tolling the bells with ropes tied to his hands and feet.
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more 
