In the icy city of Harbin in China's northeast, many Russian-style historic buildings are being restored after some neglect during the city's modernization.

The snowy scene looks very Russian, but this is China. Volga Manor is a remote town in Harbin, composed of over 30 rebuilt Russian style buildings and Russian orthodox churches.

Many local residents visit here to take a glimpse of the former buildings. For them, the town is like a history book.

Zhu Xuelian, a tourist, said, "I think this is a pretty cool place. People of my generation have never seen the old buildings of Harbin. It will help us know more about the history of Harbin by visiting these rebuilt buildings. I think it is a good thing."

Closer to Siberia than Beijing, Harbin has long been influenced by the Russians. Those old photos tell of time honoured stories. However, like many other Chinese cities, the booming real estate industry holds a lot of influence in Harbin.

Professor Li Shuxiao from Heilongjiang Institute of Social Sciences, said, "We should not develop our economy at the expense of destroying the old architecture. Only if we protect well this old architecture, can we preserve the culture and tradition of the city."

The main purpose of the rebuilding project is to revive the history of these Russian style buildings. For Harbin City, they are not only unique to the area, but also tell of its history and culture.