THE CHINESE EASTERN RAILWAY: A DISTINCTIVE IMPRINT ON HARBIN'S CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Fu Jiao

The Chinese Eastern Railway opened up a path of cultural integration for the emerging city of Harbin. With the influx of a large number of foreign immigrants, they integrated their languages, education, architectural styles, lifestyles and diets, into the local society, gradually transforming Harbin into a city with international characteristics and further enriching its cultural connotations. The Chinese Eastern Railway played a very important role in the early spread of Marxism in China. At the same time, this cultural exchange was not entirely positive. The existence of The Chinese Eastern Railway inevitably made some cultural elements show obvious foreign dominance, weakening the status of local traditional culture. Some traditional customs and social structures were thus impacted and even on the verge of disappearance. In today's increasingly globalized world, how to protect and rationally utilize these historical relics and make them a bridge connecting the past and the future is a question worthy of in-depth consideration.

Keywords:The Chinese Eastern Railway, Harbin, Construction History, Positive Cultural Impact, Negative Cultural Impact, Outlook.