Russians ring in 2020 in Chinese border city

CHANGCHUN－Hunchun, a border city in Northeast China's Jilin province, has become a sought-after destination for Russians to count down the New Year.

It was in this city that Irina from Vladivostok once again celebrated New Year's Eve 2020 with her friends.

"Almost everyone in my hometown knows Hunchun," she said. "The transportation here is convenient, the service is good, the price is reasonable and the people are friendly and welcoming."

Statistics from local customs showed nearly 10,000 Russian tourists chose to welcome in 2020 from this small city with a population of 228,000, bringing in tourism revenue of nearly 20 million yuan ($2.88 million).

Zhang Guangqiang, general manager of a local travel agency, said his company welcomed 2,200 Russian tourists who came for the New Year celebrations.

"Russians love Chinese food and traditional Chinese massages. They are also fond of skiing and hot springs," Zhang said. "The number of Russian tourists is increasing year by year."

Rooms at the TX International Hotel in downtown Hunchun were almost fully booked around the New Year. "Most of the rooms were booked by Russian tour groups as early as two months ago," said Yu Yangyang, deputy general manager of the hotel.

In addition to relaxing and enjoying delicacies, Russian tourists are also keen to purchase souvenirs. Many of the sales clerks in Hunchun's shopping malls can speak basic Russian.

"Chinese goods are high-quality and cost-effective, and many residents from Russia's Far East region often come to Hunchun for shopping," said Svetlana, a Russian tourist. Buying New Year 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.

The rapid rise of cross-border e-commerce in Hunchun has given Russian consumers more choices and convenience in their purchase of New Year gifts. According to Li Guibo, deputy director of the administration of the Hunchun export processing zone, Russian consumers placed 150,000 orders in Hunchun through e-commerce channels in 2019, worth 600 million yuan, an increase of nearly 20 times compared with 2018.