Heihe faces Blagoveshchensk in Russia across the Heilongjiang River.

The straight-line distance between the two cities is only 700 meters.

With the visa-free tourism policy reopened in August 2023, many Russians are enthusiastic about traveling to China. And now, experiencing TCM treatment has become a must-do.

"I feel extremely relaxed and comfortable. It doesn't hurt at all. I cried out because I'm really surprised," said Daniya, a Russian tourist.

"This is my first time here. I like the culture, cuisine and language here. I really love China and want to live here in the future," said Vera, another Russian tourist.

A local travel agency has also launched medical tourism routes for Russians. Currently, traditional Chinese acupuncture, massage and dentistry are the most popular.

"We receive about 1,000 Russian patients every year. They mainly suffer from diseases such as cervical and lumbar spondylosis, which the TCM acupuncture and massage are good at treating," said Wang Geng, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Heihe.

Quite a few Russians have become fans of traditional Chinese medicine and regularly come to China for physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Last year, about 760,000 Chinese and Russian tourists entered and exited through the Heihe checkpoint.

With these close interactions and exchanges, the friendship and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries is growing deeper.

Russians flock to northeast China city to experience TCM appeal