On the southern edge of Harbin, capital of China’s north-eastern Heilongjiang province, there is a white two-storey building with a red tile roof, next to Harbin No. 25 Middle School.

The building was originally part of a 150-building complex covering 6 sq km built by the Japanese during the 1930s.

Today, inside the building is the Unit 731 Museum, which displays black-and-white photographs and relics from that period donated by locals to remind people of the horrible experiments performed here during World War II, when it was the world’s largest biological warfare research centre.

As the world remembers Japan’s surrender 60 years ago today ending World War II, the Communist Party of China won’t let its people forget the atrocities that Japanese soldiers and scientists committed in China during the war.

Visit Unit 731 Museum

The museum leaves a mark on visitors, although the most appalling pictures are not on display here. Guided tours are available as well, and there is also an audio guide in English. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 11:30 AM and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Last entrance is at 3:30 PM.

The address is 25 Xinjiang Dajie, Harbin. It is located about an hour from the centre of Harbin. In order to get there, you would need to take bus no 338 or 343 from the western part of the train station, at Kunlun Hotel. A fare costs 2.50 yuan.

Map and Location