Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) — “I have been to Heihe (Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province) many times, and learned to speak a little Chinese, use chopsticks and cut out paper patterns,” said Russian tourist Natasha, who recently arrived in Heihe. She ate youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks) with soy milk for breakfast at an international morning market, watched Yangge folk dances and learned to dance at a riverside square, the China Culture Daily reported.
Heihe in Heilongjiang Province and Blagoveshchensk in Russia are separated by the Heilongjiang River (Amur), forming a “Russian-Chinese twin city.” Cultural exchanges between the cities are flourishing: exhibitions, performances, fairs, training programs and workshops on intangible cultural heritage deepen mutual understanding between residents of the two cities.
Zou Xiangdong, an official with the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, emphasized: “Heilongjiang Province is unleashing the potential of border cultural resources, creating a key platform for people-to-people exchanges with Russia. This is conducive to deepening cultural understanding and strengthening the traditional friendship between the peoples of China and Russia.”
The 15th China-Russia Cultural Festival will open in Heihe in July 2025 and end in Blagoveshchensk in August 2025. The event includes 4 key blocks /high-level visits, cultural exchanges, tourism promotion, creation of a border cultural and tourism corridor/ and 40 events /joint exhibitions of Chinese-Russian cultural exchange, ICH fairs, cultural performances/.
Organized by the ministries of culture of the two countries and the governments of Heilongjiang Province and Amur Region, the festival has become a brand of bilateral cooperation in the cultural field. Zheng Wanming, associate professor at Heilongjiang Institute of Technology, noted that Heilongjiang uses cities as bridges, trade as a link, and culture as a mediator, continuously enriching the content of bilateral exchanges.
From Heihe to Mohe and Hegang, 18 border cities in Heilongjiang Province are developing unique cultural cooperation projects with Russia. Tan Bo, director of Heilongjiang Academy of Arts, explains that relying on these resources, Heilongjiang Province has consistently built a brand of Chinese-Russian cultural exchanges, which has significantly raised the level of bilateral cooperation.
Over the years, cooperation has expanded from artistic performances and NKH exhibitions to interaction in the fields of education, tourism and sports.
According to Zou Xiangdong, Heilongjiang Province will develop cultural exchange brands with Russia to improve their level and ensure their high-quality development. -0-