City in Jilin thrives on visiting Russians

Hunchun, a border city in northeast China’s Jilin Province, has risen into a prevalent destination for Russians to count down to the New Year in recent times.

It was in this city that Irina from Vladivostok, once again, celebrated New Year’s Eve with her friends this year.

Irina could not recall how many times she had come to Hunchun. “Almost everyone in my hometown knows the city,” she said. “The transportation here is convenient, the service is good, the price is reasonable and the people are friendly and welcoming.”

Statistics from the local customs authority showed nearly 10,000 Russian tourists chose to celebrate the New Year in this small city of 228,000 people, bringing in tourism revenue of nearly 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million).

Zhang Guangqiang, general manager of a local travel agency, said his company received about 2,200 Russian tourists for the New Year. “Russians love Chinese food and traditional Chinese massages. They are also fond of skiing and hot springs. The number of Russian tourists is increasing year by year,” said Zhang.

In addition to relaxing and enjoying delicacies, Russian tourists are also keen on souvenirs. Many of the salespersons in Hunchun’s shopping malls can speak basic Russian.

“Chinese goods are good and cheap, and many residents from Russia’s Far East region often come to Hunchun for shopping,” said Svetlana, a Russian tourist. Buying New Year’s gifts was a big part of her trip, she said, as she showed off shoes for her husband, perfume for herself and toys for her children.

With the opening of high-speed railways and the improvement of road infrastructure, Hunchun, China’s only city on the border between China, Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, has gradually become a transfer hub for inbound tourists.