CHAMPAGNE STUDIOS / HARBIN

Situated in the far north east of China, Harbin has a storied past. Russian refugees fleeing the Bolsheviks settled here in 1917, followed by the Japanese occupying army in 1932, Soviet Army control in 1945, and then a Kuomintang agreed upon government between Stalin and Chiang Kaishek in 1946, which of course changed again in 1949. Today Harbin is an industrial center famous for its International Ice Lantern Festival held each winter in Zhaolin Park.. Beauty at minus forty degrees!

CNHB0402a	CNHB0402b	CNHB0402c
Russian Influenced	Twenty-Five Foot High Dragon Sculpture	China's First Astronaut

Thirty minutes outside of Harbin is a Siberian Tiger Preserve. Open to the public, it is much like the more famous Panda Breeding station in Chengdu. Visitors are taken on a tour by van of the four separate compounds making up the complex. These are divided up by the age of the tigers. Warning: graphic photos of tigers killing prey are below.

CNHB0402d	CNHB0402e	CNHB0402f	CNHB0402g

Fascinating though gruesome are the times that live animals are let loose in the compounds for the tigers to eat. This is a two year old calf being taken down by a seven year old tiger. Once down, the other fourteen tigers in the compound arrived to make their own claim to the kill.