Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Harbin, February 6 (Xinhua) — Suifenhe Railway Station in Suifenhe, a city in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province on the Chinese-Russian border, has taken new measures to improve service quality for Russian passengers ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year).
The Suifenhe railway station press service announced that a "Chinese culture corner" area will be opened in the station's waiting room during Chunyun 2026. Chunyun is the special operating period of the country's transportation system during the mass internal migration of the Chinese population before, during, and after the Spring Festival.
In this area, Russian passengers can experience a festive atmosphere and tap into elements of traditional Chinese culture by participating in master classes in Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese paper cutting. Russian-speaking station staff will assist with translation.
Russian passenger Alexey said that he had previously only heard about the traditional culture of Chinese New Year, but now he truly understood the meaning of this holiday.
The press service added that four volunteers and one translator work at the station daily. All ticket offices are equipped with electronic translators.
Station employee Wang Yihan said these measures are aimed at making travel easier for Russian passengers. "I hope our efforts will allow Russian tourists to experience warmth and comfort and experience the charm of Chinese culture," she said.
The current Suifenhe Railway Station serves as an important passenger transport hub between China and Russia and is the largest railway checkpoint on the Sino-Russian border in Heilongjiang Province.
Thanks to the reciprocal visa-free regime between China and Russia, Suifenhe Station has seen a significant increase in the number of passengers from both countries. Currently, two trains, 402 and 401, operate daily between Suifenhe Station and Russia's Grodekovo Station. By the end of 2025, they had carried 35,499 people across the Chinese-Russian border.
China has introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026.
Russian citizens holding regular passports may visit China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit purposes. Their stay in China should not exceed 30 days.
On December 1, Russia, based on the principle of reciprocity, introduced a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens. According to this, until September 14, 2026, Chinese citizens will be able to enter the Russian Federation visa-free for tourist and business trips of up to 30 days.
This year, the Spring Festival falls on February 17th. The Chunyun season began on February 2nd and will last until March 13th. -0-
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