Ha-erh-pin

Farther inland and adjoining these riverside districts is the new city of Harbin, which developed largely after the First World War. The population of the city increased eightfold from 40,500 in 1911 to 332,000 in 1931 and then doubled to 661,000 by 1940. The city was officially called Pinkiang under Manchukuo rule. Its present official Chinese name is Harbin, which is rendered phonetically by means of the characters Ha-erh-pin.