I'm gonna turn the camera around now and you're
gonna see something that looks like it's
straight out of a science fiction movie.
I'm not even exaggerating a little bit.
I feel like I've just walked into the future.
Ladies and gentlemen, take a look
at the breathtaking Harbin Grand Theatre.
I've never seen anything like it.
Hello and welcome to Russia.
Wait, hold on a second.
This is not Russia.
This is China.
Welcome to Harbin. Let's go!
Man, I feel like I'm walking
in Red Square in Moscow or something.
Look at all these Russian style buildings.
That's one of the good things that I've found
about travelling across China is that sometimes
when you travel province to province,
even sometimes city to city,
and everything will just change.
The architecture, different cuisine,
the dialect will change.
You get to see all the different
minorities across China.
And China is such a huge country.
A lot of people don't know that.
So it's just great for travelling.
I mean, like this. Look at this!
So here we've got this kind
of Russian style architecture.
And that actually comes from
during the late 1800s.
There was a lot of Russians came here to construct
the China Eastern Railway, which was
part of the Trans Siberian Railway.
And so you can see this
Russian influence still today.
Now, you may be wondering,
what is this building here?
Well, it's a San Sofia Cathedral built
in 1907, and it is more than 100 years old.
And she is a real beauty.
A lot of artists here just sketching.
Let's take a look at this one, this picture.
Wow
The guy's kind of frowning a little bit.
Maybe he can smile next time.
Now, I know what you're thinking.
Isn't Harbin usually freezing cold?
Well, I thought that, too.
So I'm kind of surprised that I'm standing here
in Harbin in shorts and a shirt,
and it is just so hot today.
Look at that blue sky.
That weather is just beautiful.
We have now come to a Jewish synagogue now,
and I don't know if you recognise this
guy over there, but that is Shaun Gibson.
Shaun Gibson playing the piano there in this
this amazing church.
We have the one and only Shaun Gibson here
on the piano.
Hi, I'm just basically vamping around,
Pachelbel's Canon.
Wow, Keep going, keep going.
Yay!
I'm gonna turn the camera around now and you're
gonna see something that looks like it's
straight out of a science fiction movie.
I'm not even exaggerating a little bit.
I feel like I've just walked into the future.
Ladies and gentlemen, take a look
at the breathtaking Harbin Grand Theatre
Designed by well known Chinese architect agency MAD.
Led by Ma Yansong, this incredible structure
creates 79,000 square metres of space.
The large grand theatre is
capable of seating 1600 people.
The roof of the opera house is engineered to be
able to hold the weight of record snowfalls if
necessary, sealants in the aluminium cladding
and the curtain walling are specifically
engineered to expand and contract
with the variance in temperature.
The large north facing skylight contains four
layers of glazing to significantly reduce
heat loss and improve energy performance.
It is just truly an incredible structure.
Oh, my God. We're now inside.
Look at this.
That is crazy.
Wow. What's this? Hello.
Wow. That is just insane.
I'm now inside and the performance
has already started.
I'm standing down at the front.
I'm not sure if I'm allowed here, but anyway...
Wow. Look at this. It's just insane.
You can see this is timber.
The entire place is lined with timber
to ensure the best possible acoustic experience.
And it looks like it's about to begin.
I've been to the Golden Hall in Vienna, Austria.
The Vienna State Opera House.
Now, let me tell you something.
This place rivals that one,
dare I say it, this one might even
be better than the Vienna State Opera House.
Look at this. It's incredible.