With only a day and a half to go in Harbin, I decided to cover the last remaining location listed in the Lonely Planet guidebook, the Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base.
Or what's left of it, as they torched most of it to try and destroy the evidence at the end of World War 2.
Had no idea how to get there, so the forever helpful concierge managed to relay to the driver where I wanted to go.
While I did get dropped off in the general area, it turns out the building I was dropped off in front was a office building, and quite a few office workers were puzzled about why some huge guy with a camera taking photos was coming through their building. Luckily I was saved via the chinese text in the Lonely Planet book and pointed in the correct way to go, quite a distance down the street.
The entry was at the last remaining sentry box at the south gate, which you needed to collect a ticket out of for entry. Passing through the gate, the last remaining building on site houses a museum about what happened on this site, as well as in the surrounding country.
Terrible things happened here. They basically experimented on people for biological warfare purposes, injecting germs, viruses and bacteria and then either seeing how long it would take for a person
to die, or let the illness take effect, then cut a person open to and take out the organs while they were alive for study.
Tests were also conducted to find out the limits of how a human can cope with say, no oxygen or hypothermia.
Look up 'Unit 731' or just 731 on wikipedia or the like for a more detailed run down.
As for the exhibit itself, it's well presented, there are english captions throughout and there are guides there that speak multiple languages. Many relics of that era are on display, such as weapons, germ canisters and surgical equipment with dioramas depicting various horrors as well.
At the end of the museum is a room dedicated to showing how the truth has been u
ncovered in the intervening years, with interviews with repentant Japanese soldiers, archaeological digs as well as the many books and documentaries that have been produced to spread the word.
The exit was around the back of the building, which led you to the back lot, which was a bit featureless as it was covered in snow, but there were still holes here and there with brickwork foundations showing where buildings had been, before they had been blown up or levelled.
After some time of walking around the back, I eventually made my way to the exit and onto the street. I could just see down the street a lot of cars and activity so I made my way in that direction.
It was a multilevel grocery store, which was handy, as I wanted to get the hotel staff something for their help, but I'm still a bit uneasy about tips. I must have been the only foreigner in that store for a while, as I attracted a crowd of lookers, pointers and the odd 'hello' followed by giggles. Interesting!
In the end I settled on an expensive tin of chocolates and made my way out. I waited ages for an 'official' taxi to come by, before giving up and going for one of the unofficial ones. It was a little van that had iced up windows that were heavily tinted so I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. I think the drivers where a husband and wife team and they were nice enough, eventually dropping me off a block past the hotel, which was good enough for me!
Or what's left of it, as they torched most of it to try and destroy the evidence at the end of World War 2.
Had no idea how to get there, so the forever helpful concierge managed to relay to the driver where I wanted to go.
While I did get dropped off in the general area, it turns out the building I was dropped off in front was a office building, and quite a few office workers were puzzled about why some huge guy with a camera taking photos was coming through their building. Luckily I was saved via the chinese text in the Lonely Planet book and pointed in the correct way to go, quite a distance down the street.
The entry was at the last remaining sentry box at the south gate, which you needed to collect a ticket out of for entry. Passing through the gate, the last remaining building on site houses a museum about what happened on this site, as well as in the surrounding country.
Terrible things happened here. They basically experimented on people for biological warfare purposes, injecting germs, viruses and bacteria and then either seeing how long it would take for a person
to die, or let the illness take effect, then cut a person open to and take out the organs while they were alive for study.Tests were also conducted to find out the limits of how a human can cope with say, no oxygen or hypothermia.
Look up 'Unit 731' or just 731 on wikipedia or the like for a more detailed run down.
As for the exhibit itself, it's well presented, there are english captions throughout and there are guides there that speak multiple languages. Many relics of that era are on display, such as weapons, germ canisters and surgical equipment with dioramas depicting various horrors as well.
At the end of the museum is a room dedicated to showing how the truth has been u
ncovered in the intervening years, with interviews with repentant Japanese soldiers, archaeological digs as well as the many books and documentaries that have been produced to spread the word.The exit was around the back of the building, which led you to the back lot, which was a bit featureless as it was covered in snow, but there were still holes here and there with brickwork foundations showing where buildings had been, before they had been blown up or levelled.
After some time of walking around the back, I eventually made my way to the exit and onto the street. I could just see down the street a lot of cars and activity so I made my way in that direction.
It was a multilevel grocery store, which was handy, as I wanted to get the hotel staff something for their help, but I'm still a bit uneasy about tips. I must have been the only foreigner in that store for a while, as I attracted a crowd of lookers, pointers and the odd 'hello' followed by giggles. Interesting!
In the end I settled on an expensive tin of chocolates and made my way out. I waited ages for an 'official' taxi to come by, before giving up and going for one of the unofficial ones. It was a little van that had iced up windows that were heavily tinted so I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. I think the drivers where a husband and wife team and they were nice enough, eventually dropping me off a block past the hotel, which was good enough for me!
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