TCM tourism takes off in Suifenhe

"Show me your tongue. So do you have any other trouble?" Zha Minghui, a doctor at Suifenhe People's Hospital, asked his Russian patient while taking her pulse.

"Your cervical spondylosis caused your dizziness. You need traction and moxibustion therapy," he told her through a translator employed by the hospital. "Since you are leaving this week, there is no time to do a CT scan for you."

By mid-October, more than 6,000 Russians had visited the hospital - close to the Russian border in Heilongjiang province - this year for traditional Chinese medicine treatment, compared with about 7,000 in 2016. Patients from Russia have access to green channel at Suifenhe customs, Zha said.