Xiaojiuzhan and Dijian Street (Part 2)

Last time we talked about the origin of the name of Xiaojiuzhan. After the Russian survey team confirmed the dock location, one month later, the Russians built the Nine-Station Dock here, which moored the steamship "Blagoveshchensk" arriving from Russia, and it also brought a full load of railway construction equipment.\nOf course, many Russians also came with the ship, including: Yigeqiwusi, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Chinese Eastern Railway; Xierkefu, Chief of the Ninth Engineering Section of the Chinese Eastern Railway; as well as the administrative and technical personnel recruited for the Chinese Eastern Railway project.\nAmong them, we should talk about Xierkefu. He came here specifically to be in charge of the municipal engineering construction of Harbin. The street where he lived was also the location of the headquarters of the 8th and 9th Engineering Sections that he was responsible for. It was the earliest to form, and was also called Dijian Street (Section Street).\nIn 1915, after Xierkefu left his post, the Chinese Eastern Railway authorities specially awarded him the title of "Honorary Citizen" in recognition of his achievements, and changed the name of Dijian Street to Xierkefu Wangjue Street (Prince Khilkov Street) or Wangye Street. In fact, no matter what the name, it was named after him. So why was he so highly regarded at that time? Because he held a title conferred by the Tsar.\nXierkefu lived on Dijian Street, and people often saw him walking arm in arm with his wife to Central Park (now Zhaolin Park). In the park, Xierkefu owned a small villa, where he built a unique and exquisite small theater that could seat 500 people. At that time, there were often performances of traditional plays such as "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake", as well as concerts and exhibitions of oil paintings and watercolors. As a nobleman, Xierkefu had a very high level of cultivation. It is said that he was not only well-versed in Western music but also very fond of watercolor painting.\nThe people of Harbin are generous. In memory of this engineer who made outstanding contributions to the municipal construction of Harbin, the name of Dijian Street has been preserved to this day.\nIn June 1898, the Chinese Eastern Railway officially started construction, just as summer was beginning in Harbin.\nRailway construction was in full swing. The Chinese Eastern Railway Company ordered several passenger and cargo ships from Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Businessmen and their families from various countries came to Harbin on these ships and disembarked at the Nine-Station Dock.\nAs a result, berths at the Nine-Station Dock became scarce, so the area from the Nine-Station Dock all the way along the river to the River Club was expanded into a deep-water dock.\nWave after wave of technicians and laborers poured in from Russia and other countries. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese migrant workers came from inside the Shanhai Pass. As the population grew, the area from the riverside dock southward, for several kilometers around, became bustling. The former riverbank wilderness took on a new look. Potholes were filled in to make roads, ruts were pressed into the meadows. On both sides of the roads, Chinese set up A-frame shacks, Russians built simple wooden houses, and small vendors opened for business on the spot.\nThe wasteland near the riverside dock has gradually changed. All kinds of people came here to seek business opportunities and settle down.\nNowadays, walking at the Nine-Station area and seeing what it looks like, you might not imagine how prosperous and important it once was, when people from all over the world came to Harbin through this place.