Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
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, January 8 (Xinhua) — From January 1 to 3, 2026, during the Chinese New Year holiday, Suifenhe, a city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on the border between China and Russia, experienced a boom in inbound tourism. According to local border control authorities, Suifenhe received 2,600 foreign tourists during the three-day New Year holiday, an increase of 76.8 percent compared to the same period in 2025, according to a statement posted on the official website of the Suifenhe municipal government.
Thanks to the introduction of a mutual visa-free regime between China and Russia, a large number of tourists from both China and Russia came to spend the New Year holidays in the border town of Suifenhe.
According to Russian Kristina, it's very convenient to get a SIM card and exchange currency in Suifenhe. Another Russian tourist, Natalia, said she was delighted by the dragon dances and colorful lanterns.
In response to the influx of foreign tourists, the Suifenhe Border Service and other local departments have taken a series of measures to simplify procedures: adding dedicated channels, installing intelligent screening equipment, and providing consultation services in Chinese and Russian to ensure that the time it takes passengers to clear customs and passport control does not exceed 20 minutes.
During the New Year holidays, a number of local travel agencies in Suifenhe launched new tour products, and the number of booking inquiries nearly doubled compared to the same period in 2025. Furthermore, revenues for the local hotel and restaurant industry also peaked during this period. Most hotels located near the checkpoint saw occupancy rates exceed 90%.
The popularity of this tourist destination continued even after the three-day Chinese holiday. According to data from the Suifenhe Port Authority, between January 1 and 7, 2026, the number of foreign tourists entering and exiting China through the port reached 10,007, an 83% increase year-on-year.
Sun Shan, Deputy Director of the Suifenhe Tourism Development Service Center, said the local government will continue to make efforts in tourism product innovation and service optimization to transform the visa-free travel convenience into a wonderful cross-border travel experience. -0-
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