Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — While busloads of Russians flock to morning markets in the city of Heihe in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, a significant number of Russian travelers are heading to pristine beaches on the other side of the country in southern China’s Hainan Province after long-haul flights.
Data from local authorities in Sanya, a resort city in the island province of Hainan, shows that Russian tourists made 173,900 trips to the city in 2024, an eleven-fold increase from the previous year.
In Sanya’s Dadonghai Bay, the beaches are filled with sunbathing Russians, and even fruit vendors are calling out to potential customers in Russian.
“The warm climate, abundant sunshine and clear water, as well as the unique tropical climate and seascapes are the key reasons that attract Russian tourists,” said Chen Xiaolei, a local Russian-speaking tour guide.
In addition to the exotic coastal landscapes, Russian travelers are also attracted by Hainan’s favorable visa-free policy and fast customs clearance.
The State Immigration Administration (SIA) of the People’s Republic of China has expanded the visa-free entry regime to Hainan for citizens from 59 countries, effective February 9, 2024.
In July of the same year, the CIU introduced a visa-free regime allowing foreign tourist groups from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SAR) to enter and stay in Hainan for 144 hours, and in December, the transit visa-free stay period for foreigners in Hainan was increased to 240 hours.
A tourist named Konstantin, who flew to the resort of Sanya on a direct flight from Krasnoyarsk, said: “China’s visa-free regime is incredibly practical and convenient for us. We plan to stay in Sanya for 10 days, which gives us enough time to enjoy the trip.”
The Sherikovs, a Russian couple celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Sanya, said: “The customs clearance process took less than 10 minutes and was much easier than we expected.”
An expanding international flight network with more direct routes from Russian cities to Sanya has also made the coastal city more accessible.
In the first quarter of 2025, there were about 500 flights between Russia and Sanya, 400 percent more than in the same period last year. According to the Fenghuang border checkpoint in Sanya, more than 5,000 Russian tourists arrive here every week.
Huang Xing, head of the Sanya Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, said that to improve the experience of foreign tourists, local hotels and scenic spots have installed multilingual signboards in English, Russian and Chinese, facilitated international credit card payments and opened foreign currency exchange offices, and regularly hosted concerts, cultural performances and sports events.
While enjoying sunbathing, tropical fruits and vibrant nightlife, more Russian tourists are beginning to delve deeper into Chinese culture to get more unique travel experiences in Sanya, such as traditional Chinese medicine treatment, he said.
Huang Juhai, director of the specialized treatment department of the Druzhba International Sanatorium of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Sanya, said: “TCM is very popular among Russian tourists as the recognition of TCM by foreign visitors has increased significantly.”
Chen Xiaolei, a local tour guide, said more than half of his Russian clients prefer TCM treatment.
“Many of them seek TCM treatment for neck and lower back pain, joint problems, obesity and digestive disorders,” he said. -0- /Source: China Daily/