Railway construction
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In the late 1890s, the Tsarist Empire started the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (Dongqing Railway). It marked the beginning of the Poles settling in Harbin. They constructed the railway while at the same time making the area along the railway into their settlements. Churches, office buildings, and many other infrastructures were built.
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Religion
While Poles became Harbin residents, they brought their religious belief to Harbin from their homeland. Catholicism has been a common belief among Poles. The common religious belief helped Poles build their communities and foster their identity in a foreign land. By building churches like the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral. Religious activities, such as the “parade for Corpus Christi,” not only allowed Poles to tie closer together as a group, but also stimulated multicultural exchange at Harbin.
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School and education
To preserve and maintain Polish culture and identity in the Far East, the Poles organized educational activities in small groups and conducted underground before 1908. After 1908, the first school for the Poles was established. The most representative Polish schools in Harbin were St. Vincent de Paul Primary School (1912) and Henryk Sienkiewicz Middle School (1913). In Henryk Sienkiewicz Middle School, students were required to learn Polish history to learn their origin. The education curriculum and school uniform focused to enhance their western origins. These measures could foster Polish cultures and shape their unique identity.
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Eagles in the Land of Dragon
The crowned white eagle symbolizing the Poles could be found in many items used by the Poles in Harbin. The cover of the book titled Polacy na Dalekim Wschodzie (Poles in the Far East) featured a crowned white eagle flying over the map of the coastal China and Japan. Other items such as school certificates or passports often used the crowned eagle as the icon of Poland.
(right) Polacy na Dalekim Wschodzie (Poles in the Far East), published in 1928. The book recorded the lives of the Poles in Harbin from a Polish perspective.
(left) Poland Coat of Arms, used under Congress Poland in 1863-1915. During this time, Poland was ruled by Austria, Prussia and Russia governments.