My first day in China was truly a tale of two halves. It got off to a delightful start when I was awoken by the dulcet tones of the hotel alarm and intercom blaring “Attention, this is an emergency. Evacuate the building immediately!”, or something to that effect in Mandarin. I leapt out of bed and bolted downstairs only to find out from the insouciant receptionist after a protracted exchange on my translator app that it was a drill. Why a hotel would decide to test their alarm system at 6:30 a.m. is beyond me but I lacked the bandwidth to enquire. I trundled back to my room for an excruciating hour spent trying to fall back asleep, punctuated by the almost certainly unwarranted beeping of horns outside.
Echoing my trip to Hiroshima, I decided to double down on my cheerful mood with a nice macabre visit to the Unit 731 Museum. For those unfamiliar with it, this was the secret Japanese facility in Manchuria used to develop their biological weapons programme. Enlisted in this gruesome endeavour were approximately 3,000 Chinese prisoners who were the subjects of horrific experiments that included inoculations, poison gas, frostbite and vivisections. Some further 300,000 were killed when the fruits of this odious labour were used in Japan’s war effort.
I won’t be overly graphic but suffice to say that this is a pretty indelible stain on Japan’s war record and one that rivals anything perpetrated by Nazi Germany; it serves as a sobering reminder of man’s illimitable capacity for evil. I thought the museum superbly conveyed the tragedy in human terms whilst also presenting a compelling, evidence-based case that culpability for it lied across all echelons of the Japanese leadership. Nothing in the museum seemed inflammatory or out of step with what I’ve read elsewhere.
The favoured method of field experiment involved airdropping germ bombs containing plague infected fleas at close proximity to the test subjects who were tied to pillars
Frostbite subjects were exposed to temperatures of -30°C with bare hands and feet
Arguably the most shocking exhibition dealt with the immunity granted to all Japanese participants in Unit 731 after the war (at least those captured by British and American forces). I’ve spoken at length about the considerations for leniency towards Japan so shan’t recapitulate them here. Additionally, there was the not unfounded concern that a public war crimes trial would reveal the findings of their experiments and therefore invite the risk that they could be used by malevolent forces. Such a compromise may well have been necessary but it would’ve brought little comfort to the victims and their loved ones. That many of Unit 731’s architects went on to enjoy prosperous lives and were adamantly unapologetic until their deaths would’ve made this an even bitterer pill to swallow. Anyone seeking to understand China’s current bellicosity and determination to safeguard its borders (however broadly defined) should look at Unit 731 as an instructive reminder of the repercussions of not doing so.
Many went on to prosperous postwar careers, including hospital directors and a university professor
Though Japan’s impact on Harbin was profound, it’s arguably Russia that historically had (and certainly at present has) a deeper influence in this part of China. This is exemplified by Volga Manor, a Russian theme park that covers an area of over 600,000 square metres. If Okinawa’s “American Village” was telling about the strength of US-Japanese amity, then this felt like a worthy Sino-Russian geopolitical riposte.
The place was utterly bizarre and virtually deserted. I had a fantastic time exploring the half-baked attractions which included hotels, a golf club house, an art gallery, a ski resort and, of course, a “Vodka Chateau”! Truly, this would be an amazing set for a horror film. I’m not sure why it was even open to public when it’s so clearly still under construction. Given that I saw a total of five workers perfunctorily digging or doing something of that nature, it might be a while until this place is properly up and running. I’ll be sure to return when it is but until then I can’t resist the temptation to call this farrago of grand designs and poor execution the perfect metaphor for Putin’s Russia; its façade not even compelling enough to be labelled a Potemkin village.
I’d hoped to visit the enticingly named “Stalin Park” but unfortunately ran out of time because I got stranded at Volga Manor for a few hours after my means of making digital payments was unexplainably blocked. Instead, I headed straight for my final stop, the Saint Sophia Church in downtown Harbin. There wasn’t much to see but it served as another wonderful example of Russian architectural style and cultural influence in this region. Being treated to a saxophone rendition of “Hallelujah” inside was certainly the cherry on top.
