Russian Art Nouveau as a Brand for a Railway Line in Northeast China from its Construction to its Heritagization

The Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) was built by the Russian Empire between 1896 and 1901 in Northeast China as part of the Siberian Railway network. Important buildings along the line as well as the promotional literature were designed in Art Nouveau style, a then Western fashionable style associated with modernity and used as a tool or promoting development in the “Far Northeast”. From 2006 until present, 229 CER-related monuments were confirmed as national level heritage of the People’s Republic of China. Among them, most Russian Art Nouveau buildings in Harbin (CER’s main hub, now capital of Heilongjiang province) and other Russian style buildings in the stations along the line. As well as Hengdaohezi, a second-class railtown, with Russian style buildings (wooden church), and CER architecture (locomotive depot, workers houses, station), is confirmed as a national level historical and cultural town. Not only several heritagized buildings have become museums, but some demolished historic buildings have been reconstructed. Art Nouveau and the CER’s styles today contribute to make the unique identity of Northeast China.

ISBN:978 625 7034 03 6

Publication year:2020