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, February 13 (Xinhua) — With the approach of the Year of the Horse, there is increased interest among foreign tourists in celebrating the Celestial Empire's most important holiday, the Spring Festival (Chunjie, the traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar), directly in China. Russia, thanks to the continued benefits of its visa-free policy and the expansion of its international route network, has become a significant player in the Chinese market among tourist source countries.
Data from Chinese online travel platform Ctrip shows that inbound tourism will see a sustained recovery during the Spring Festival, with the number of bookings for tours to China from Russian tourists jumping by 471 percent year-on-year.
According to a Ctrip analyst, trips to China for Spring Festival celebrations are becoming a new global trend, driven by the deep integration of cultural and inbound tourism. The uniqueness and opportunity to experience folk customs and traditions firsthand during the Spring Festival are becoming key advantages for attracting foreign tourists to the country.
It is quite remarkable that this trend has gained popularity among Russian travelers since the very beginning of this year.
On the last day of 2025, a New Year's atmosphere permeated China's northeastern Jilin Province. Several thousand Russians, taking advantage of visa-free entry, attended the event called "Experience Winter Jilin Through Joyful Songs – Sino-Russian New Year's Eve 2026" to celebrate the New Year with their Chinese friends.
The event included a series of festive programs, such as introduction to intangible cultural heritage, photo exhibitions, fireworks, literary and artistic performances, as well as Chinese and Russian family banquets, which showcased the charm of the two countries' cultures through different lenses.
On New Year's Eve, the 2026 Chinese-Russian New Year's Eve celebrations were held simultaneously in many cities in Jilin Province, including Changchun, Yanji, and Hunchun.
Meanwhile, in January, an event called "Chinese New Year Lovers" kicked off in the Aihui District of Heihe City (Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China), bringing together over 50 Russian and Chinese tourists. They delved deeper into traditional Chinese culture and celebrated the New Year 2026 together "the Chinese way."
Tourists from the two countries, led by intangible cultural heritage experts, immersed themselves in traditional crafts such as paper cutting (jianzhi) and archery, and enjoyed authentic local delicacies.
Anastasia, a Russian tourist who came to study Chinese culture, said she would take home a paper cutout made by her daughter.
Chinese and Russian friends created shared memories of Chinese New Year by writing the character "fu" (happiness), creating fish skin paintings and lanterns, making candied fruit on a stick, and making dumplings.
Russian tourist Ivan shared his joy at celebrating the New Year in China and participating in a variety of traditional Chinese events.
From northeast to south China, Spring Festival has become a cultural event, marking a surge of growing interest among the people of the neighboring country.
With the introduction of independent customs operations throughout Hainan Province in December 2025, this resort island has become even more attractive to foreign tourists, especially Russians, in anticipation of the Spring Festival.
Data shows that the number of international flight bookings to Haikou during the Spring Festival has more than doubled compared to the same period last year, with the main influx of passengers coming from countries such as Russia, Singapore, Australia, and others.
In Hainan, Russian tourists discovered a new travel model: "duty-free shopping plus a beach holiday."
Russian woman Daria, who visited a duty-free shopping center in Hainan and purchased an Honor tablet there, noted “significantly more competitive” prices.
Russian tourist Katya, who is visiting the island province for the second time, is consistently impressed by the ease of using digital technology, calling it a "big plus." "Using WeChat Wallet to pay for public transportation and other payments is so simple, it's made China my favorite vacation destination," she said, adding that her children are now fans of the "mystery boxes," also known as surprise boxes, sold at the MINISO retail store.
As a reminder, from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026, China introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding regular passports, with a maximum stay of up to 30 days per trip. This visa-free regime allows them to enter China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit.
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.