Heihe, a bustling border city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is buzzing with excitement as travelers queue up to take advantage of Russia's newly launched 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese citizens. The policy, effective this month, has turned the frosty Heilongjiang River into a hotspot for cross-border adventures 🛷❄️.
Just a two-minute hovercraft ride across the river lies Blagoveshchensk, where local businesses are already celebrating a surge in visitors. "We've seen more foot traffic this week than in the past six months!" shared a café owner, while souvenir shops report selling out of matryoshka dolls and fur hats 🧣.
This travel boom follows China's September 2025 announcement of a reciprocal one-year visa-free trial for Russian nationals—a move experts call "a diplomatic win for cross-border tourism." With Heihe and Blagoveshchensk now closer than ever (literally 700 meters apart!), young adventurers are flooding social media with #FrostyFrontier selfies 📸.
💡 Pro tip for 2025 travelers: Pack thermal layers and download a translation app—while the journey is quick, the -20°C temperatures and Cyrillic street signs require some prep! ⚡
