Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, September 23 (Xinhua) — Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Northeast China's Jilin Province has long been a popular tourist destination for tourists from the Russian Far East. Over the past two years, the number of tourist destinations for Russian travelers has gradually expanded from Hunchun and Yanji to Longjing, Dunhua, and other Chinese cities. Recently, thanks to the introduction of a trial visa-free regime for Russian visitors, cross-border youth tourism in Yanbian has gained momentum, the Yanbian Chenbao (Yanbian Morning News) newspaper reported on Monday.
As a reminder, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun announced at a regular press conference on September 2 that China would introduce a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports from September 15, 2025, to September 14, 2026.
Russian citizens holding valid ordinary passports will be able to visit China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit. However, their stay in the country cannot exceed 30 days.
The Liudingshan Cultural and Tourism Zone in Dunhua attracts large numbers of Russian tourists with its natural landscape and cultural heritage. The zone's administration continues to improve its services, including currency exchange, multilingual signage, and welcoming tour groups. From January to August 2025, the number of Russian tourists visiting the zone increased by 42% compared to the same period last year.
"Since the introduction of the visa-free regime, the number of Russian tourists has increased significantly. We will continue to improve the level and detail of our services to promote the internationalization of Dunhua's tourism market," said Yuan Hong, head of the Liudingshan Municipal Publicity Department.
According to Li Yan, head of the Yanji West Market, many Russian tourists, mostly young couples and families with children, come here every day to shop. Popular items include clothing, traditional Korean jewelry, and local delicacies such as baked fish slices.
"After China introduced a trial visa-free regime, the number of Russian tourists in the Western market increased by more than 20 percent compared to the same period, and they visit every day. We optimized our services in advance and created a multilingual logo for Russian tourists. Now, using translation software, we can ensure seamless communication, making Russian tourists' travel in Yanji more comfortable," Li Yan added.
Since the introduction of the visa-free regime, there has been a significant increase in the number of young Russian tourists seeking advice, and more and more Russians are signing up for trips to Yanbian, said Zhang Guangqiang, general director of a local travel agency.
He predicts that passenger traffic will increase significantly when autumn holidays begin in Russia at the end of October. As part of the China-Russia Years of Culture, the travel agency will focus on launching a number of cultural exchange products based on permanent tour groups and will organize Sino-Russian study tours for tourists from both countries. Furthermore, the travel agency also plans to resume the car-based tourism project to Jilin for Russian tourists.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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