Like other teenagers, I once dreamed of leaving my city, Harbin, to embrace the spectacular outside world. But as I grew up and visited other cities across the country, the only thing that struck me was the ugliness of these places. They all look pretty similar because of the repetition in architectural style.

And now the makeover is happening

to my city. Historical heritage and relics have not been preserved because of economic development in the city. The old is being demolished while the new is being built.

Over the past two years, Harbin has sped up its pace of development in an attempt to catch up with other major cities. More development programs are in the pipeline for the capital of Heilongjiang province. All of a sudden, the city has become unfamiliar to me.

A beautiful Russian-style dome in a famous Orthodox church in the city that I once believed belonged to a fairy tale now stands alone amid a harsh, concrete apartment compound.

I should have known far more about my city before its uniqueness disappeared forever. I guess this will be the last time I see this city in its textures and structures before the bulldozers soon level the Western-style buildings to the ground.

I feel forced to bid farewell to the old memories of the city but confusion arises in me: How will I now introduce the city to my friends?