Harbin · Full chronicle and history

On October 29, a gas station in Bayan County, Harbin, Heilongjiang, saw a rush to buy fuel due to the diesel shortage affecting many regions, leading to conflicts among truck drivers over refueling quotas. Gas stations across the country have successively introduced diesel rationing policies, and multiple similar disputes have already occurred.

On October 29, a Wenjie car rear-ended a truck in Harbin. The front of the vehicle slid under the truck's cargo bed, the windshield was shattered, and the front part of the roof was severely deformed.

Recent chat records from the Qian Xuesen class of the Automation Department at Harbin Engineering University show that a counselor, dissatisfied with the class's grades, told students they are not qualified to be refined and should not shower every day, demanding that they study at all times except for one cultural and sports activity per month, and said he would check the daily routines of students with low grades.

Harbin Institute of Technology and other institutions published a study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, screening cerebrospinal fluid samples from 91 subjects in Harbin who self-reported no history of occupational pesticide exposure, and detected a total of 20 pesticide-related compounds; biphenyl was detected in all samples, and 6 triazole components were also found. On October 18, a blogger posted a video introducing the study.

According to China Digital Times (CDT), twenty students in Harbin were disciplined by their school for using a VPN to circumvent the Great Firewall. It is reported that these students were investigated and punished by the school after being reported by their classmates. This incident reflects the prevailing culture of snitching on Chinese campuses, where internet surveillance and reporting mechanisms are further weaponized, and students face increasing risks of disciplinary action for accessing overseas information.

Taiwanese singer Cyndi Wang held a commercial concert at the Harbin International Convention and Exhibition Center Stadium, and told the audience during an interaction that both going on stage and going down into the audience seats require prior approval.

On October 3, singer Cyndi Wang held a commercial concert at the Harbin International Convention and Exhibition Center Stadium. During interaction with fans, she said she could not come down, and fans were not allowed onstage without prior approval.

On October 3, Cyndi Wang said “cannot take the stage without approval” at the Qunxing Concert in Harbin, Heilongjiang, and the remarks sparked discussion and mockery among netizens.

On September 27, commenting on the Harbin Engineering University student who was disciplined for circumventing the Great Firewall, a netizen compared China's information control to the historical "Single Channel for Profit" technique of ruling the people, stating that today it is "Information from a Single Channel," forcing hundreds of millions of citizens to view the world only through the eye of a needle.

On September 20, the School of Mathematical Sciences of Harbin Engineering University reported that, after verification by higher authorities, 20 undergraduates and graduate students used campus network accounts to access overseas networks via VPN on September 18–19, which was recorded by the network security monitoring system. Because it was their first violation and there were no serious consequences, they were given a warning sanction.

The School of Mathematical Sciences at Harbin Engineering University announced that 20 undergraduate and graduate students were given warnings for using VPNs over the campus network to access overseas internet.

On September 14, several nurses at the Second People's Hospital of Hulan District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province reported that the hospital had been withholding wages for up to two years. After prolonged unsuccessful rights protection, the medical staff chose to publicly expose the issue online to seek a solution.

On September 13, during the Harbin Marathon in Heilongjiang, a large number of university student volunteers were arranged to stand guard for free at race supply stations on a bridge in heavy rain, maintaining supply tables and squatting on the ground to seek shelter from the rain. Volunteers on-site revealed that it was entirely unpaid volunteer service, with no compensation, receiving only bread, sausages, and milk as brunch.

On September 12, a recruitment notice for Harbin Marathon security staff appeared online, requiring work from 5 p.m. that afternoon until 2 p.m. the next day, about 21 hours in total. The employer offered only 160 yuan salary plus a 20 yuan meal allowance, and demanded applicants provide their own food, lodging, tents and other equipment, and spend the night on the street. Some members in the recruitment group questioned the mismatch between workload and pay, and netizens in the comments criticized it as low‑human‑rights exploitation, saying “less than nine yuan per hour.” This notice has sparked attention and controversy over the labor system for security at large events.

Harbin Engineering University issued a notice giving warning punishments to 20 students who used a VPN over the campus network to access foreign websites, sparking public attention over online information control.

On September 14, 2026, an elderly person in Harbin City disclosed to the public via video, stating that after Harbin Vocational and Technical University carried out campus expansion works, the construction site's drainage system has long been discharging onto his own land, causing trees on the campus to be soaked and die; at the same time, construction spoil was dumped on his plot, crushing fruit trees and grape vines that had been planted for more than ten years. The video shows the plot overgrown with weeds, and some areas piled with bricks, plastic bags and other construction waste. The elder said he had repeatedly negotiated with the school to no avail, and now requests relevant authorities to intervene.

Harbin Engineering University issued an official notice punishing students for circumventing the Great Firewall to use a VPN, drawing attention and commentary from netizens.

On August 4, 2026, exceptionally heavy rain suddenly hit Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, causing severe urban flooding. Water on several main roads reached chest height, shops along the streets and underground facilities were submerged, and residents queued to wade through the water to evacuate.

On July 27, 2026, the Acheng District Government Service Center in Harbin, Heilongjiang was exposed for setting up an extremely low, seatless Ding Yizhen-style window. After the story gained traction online, staff from the department involved privately messaged a self-media blogger, admitting it was true and requesting that the video be taken down.

Harbin's permanent resident population fell below 10 million in 2021, and it has been called the only provincial capital in the country to have seen negative population growth over the past decade or more.