The industrial town of Qiqihar is situated in the very north of China, in the province of Heilongjiang, Manchuria. It is an important economic and cultural centre. The construction of SOS Children's Village Qiqihar started in 1991 and was terminated two years later. Soon afterwards, the construction of an SOS Youth House began.
This SOS Youth House was finished in the spring of 1994. After that, an SOS Vocational Training Centre ("SOS Hermann Gmeiner Technical School") was built. The SOS Children's Village is situated in the western part of the town, on the river Nen, where there is a well-developed local infrastructure: there are several primary and secondary schools, colleges, two big hospitals, a shopping centre and other public services close by.
SOS Children's Village Qiqihar consists of 15 family houses, the village director's house, a house for the SOS aunts (family helpers who support the SOS mothers), apartments for retired SOS mothers, an SOS Kindergarten, an SOS Youth House and a room for medical treatment, where a doctor attends to the medical needs of the children and staff of the village.
It also has its own sports field. The SOS Kindergarten has three classrooms and is attended by children from both the SOS Children's Village and its neighbourhood.
The SOS Youth Facility consists of a youth house inside the village and several flats outside. Young people usually move from the SOS Children's Village to an SOS Youth Facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.
The SOS Hermann Gmeiner Technical School is part of the University of Qiqihar. It has 19 classrooms, 18 rooms where practical subjects are taught (laboratories etc.), and there is a building with accommodation for approximately 300 students.