Harbin is a town few people in the west have heard of. Harbin is fairly lively these days. Take a quick tour through Harbin and you will soon understand why prices of construction materials on the world market are rising. Enormous construction sites are operated 24 hours a day. The city is mushrooming. Despite this, noise pollution and air quality in Harbin remain at reasonable levels, possibly because of its remote location in northern China. It is not yet a truly international city. However it is a major centre for Chinese language study as Harbiners speak a particularly clear, standard version of Putonghua Mandarin. There are many foreign students studying Mandarin in Harbin at the present time.
You may not have heard of Harbin before, but it is likely to become a major global force in ten years time. Now would be a good time to make yourself acquainted with this vibrant city.