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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
This photo shows the Taihedian Palace Pavilion at the Palace Museum in Beijing on October 10, 2025. /Photo: Xinhua/
Beijing, November 25 (Xinhua) — Following China's introduction of a visa-free regime for Russian citizens, various regions of China have seen a significant increase in the number of Russian tourists. The increased tourist flow from Russia not only opens new opportunities for the Chinese tourism industry but will also facilitate the development of a wider range of services and measures aimed at enhancing convenience and enhancing the tourist experience for Russian travelers.
NOTICEABLE GROWTH
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.
Two months after the visa-free regime came into effect in various parts of China, the effectiveness of this policy measure can already be assessed. This is supported by statistical data.
According to data from Beijing Daxing International Airport, since the visa-free regime for Russian citizens came into effect on September 15, 2025, as of 12:00 PM on November 9, more than 63,000 Russian tourists had entered China through the Beijing Daxing International Airport checkpoint, which is almost 80 percent more than during the same period last year.
According to statistics from the Shanghai Border Control Center in eastern China, between September 15 and November 15, 72,000 Russian tourists entered China through all Shanghai checkpoints, 84.7 percent of whom used the visa-free regime. Russian citizens arriving in China for tourism purposes accounted for 85.2 percent of all Russians entering China visa-free.
According to statistics from Manzhouli Customs (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, North China), during the reporting period, the number of Russian tourists entering China through the Manzhouli checkpoint reached 40,000 people, an increase of 60 percent year-on-year.
Tourists visit the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, on October 3, 2024. /Photo: Xinhua/
NEW TRENDS
Undoubtedly, vacations in China have become more popular among Russians. However, Russian tourists are increasingly choosing unique experiences over standard tours.
Medical tourism, which focuses on healthcare and treatments based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is gaining popularity among a growing number of Russian tourists.
"We receive about a thousand tourists from Russia every year, including from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities. Many tourists come here for travel and shopping, while others come specifically for treatment for conditions such as cervical spondylosis and adhesive capsulitis," said Han Shimin, director of the Hanyiju Moxibustion Clinic in Hunchun, Jilin Province, northeast China, which straddles the borders of China, North Korea, and Russia.
With the growing popularity of TCM tours, the quality of medical services in Hunchun is constantly improving. Hunchun TCM Hospital has not only established an international medical department and hired professional translators, but also combined TCM physical therapy with tourism and recreation.
September 13, 2025, a section of the Lijiang River in Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China. /Photo: Xinhua/
In Manzhouli, local medical institutions have launched health products that include TCM physiotherapy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese massage (tuina) (manual therapy), and thermal water therapy to meet the growing demand for TCM tours from tourists from the Far East.
Furthermore, the city's authorities are actively developing business tourism, providing "one-stop" services to Chinese and Russian businessmen, including event venue booking, translation services, business networking, and more, in order to create a favorable platform for Chinese-Russian trade and economic cooperation.
Zhou Xiaoguang, CEO of a travel agency in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, noted that Russian tourists prefer not only coastal resort towns and well-known major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Sanya, but also have taken a liking to scenic urban areas, including Guilin, Zhangjiajie, and others. "Russian tourists are very interested in local culture and cuisine, so we create customized hotel and dining plans to meet their needs," he said.
Li Fan, an employee of a travel agency in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, central China, said that more and more Russian tourists are learning about Zhangjiajie and are visiting, home to the bizarrely shaped peaks and cliffs that inspired the film "Avatar." "Russian tourists usually recommend hotels and prefer a more relaxed experience. Based on their preferences, we can recommend hotels or guesthouses with beautiful views. We also add activities to our program that allow Russian tourists to delve deeper into the local culture, such as sand painting workshops or Tujia batik (wax printing)," she explained.
This photo shows a night view of the Lujiazui business zone in Pudong District, east China's Shanghai, April 17, 2025. /Photo: Xinhua/
COMFORTABLE TRIPS
The significant increase in Russian tourists' interest in China is due not only to favorable policies, but also to the increase in the number of direct air routes.
Currently, from 20 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Harbin, Wuhan, Sanya, Hangzhou, Dalian, Urumqi, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and others, you can fly non-stop to Russian cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Krasnoyarsk and Blagoveshchensk.
In addition, a new international regular passenger road transport route was recently opened in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, linking the city of Manzhouli with Aginskoye in Russia.
This is the sixth international scheduled passenger road service between China and Russia, passing through the Manzhouli checkpoint. Previous routes include Manzhouli-Zabaikalsk, Manzhouli-Krasnokamensk, Manzhouli-Borzya, Manzhouli-Chita, and Hailar-Chita.
The opening of the Manzhouli-Aginskoye road transport route has provided a new, stable and convenient option for Chinese and Russian passengers traveling across the border.
Local authorities in various regions of China have taken measures to ensure comfortable travel for Russian tourists.
A "volunteer brigade" of approximately 100 police officers is on duty 24/7 at all Shanghai checkpoints. Some of them speak Russian and are ready to assist Russian tourists with translation, consultations, and other issues.
Tourists visit Dadonghai Bay in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, on August 8, 2025. /Photo: Xinhua/
To ensure maximum convenience, the well-known resort city of Sanya has organized specialized Russian language courses for local employees in hotels, tourist areas, and the transportation sector.
Language courses organized by the local organization help you master the vocabulary needed for work. For example, they cover hotel check-in and check-out procedures, as well as recommendations for visiting attractions. The training even covers such nuances as extending a room or explaining the location of the nearest coconut shop.
As is known, Sanya plans to implement additional training initiatives in the near future: launching educational videos in Russian for self-study, increasing the number of Russian-speaking guides in key tourist areas, optimizing Russian-language navigation, and expanding the network of currency exchange offices.
Qin Jing, Vice President of the Chinese company Ctrip, stated that Russia is not only an important market for China's inbound tourism sector but also a friendly neighbor, with whom the country shares mountains and rivers. China's introduction of a visa-free regime will not only significantly facilitate mutual travel for citizens of the two countries but will also contribute to the deepening of humanitarian exchanges and cultural enrichment between China and Russia.
“This step will open up new opportunities for bilateral tourism exchanges between China and Russia and is expected to further boost the Chinese inbound tourism market,” she concluded.
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.
