"I want to go to Hunchun": After visa abolition, Russians are rediscovering China.

Social media is already filled with groans about the 90s returning, and the prospect of new shuttle traders with striped bags and the bandits who greet them... However, a detailed study of the topic shows that a return to the cursed past is unlikely.

According to the online service "OneTwoTrip for Business," business trip bookings to China have doubled. And these are clearly not solo travelers traveling with their last or borrowed money to buy twenty down jackets or a suitcase of tights.

"The most common destinations for flights to China are Moscow (79% of bookings), St. Petersburg (15%), and Kazan (2%). Of these, 18% of business travelers choose business class, and 51% book five-star hotels, where the average daily rate is around 20,000 rubles," notes Stepan Mastryukov, head of OneTwoTrip for Business.

The destinations also serve as indicators of business travel. Exactly one-third of bookings are for Shanghai, 15 percent for Guangzhou, and only a quarter for Beijing. Economy class airfare ranges from 68,000 to 94,000 rubles.

Valery Britaus, commercial director of the author's tour marketplaces, has recorded an "explosive growth" in interest in trips to China, to which airlines have responded immediately.

"Due to the sharp increase in demand on both sides, air tickets from Vladivostok to Beijing or Shanghai have increased in price by 15-20%," says Britaus.

Flights from Khabarovsk to Harbin are a similar story. Before September 15, they cost 20,000-28,000 rubles, but now they're 27,500-35,700.

However, tour operators are confident that ticket prices won't rise forever if new carriers enter popular destinations. And China has plenty of them.

Shuttle traders could, of course, travel by bus rather than by plane, as part of cross-border trade and tourism. However, tour operators don't see any influx of "duffel baggage traders."

"When leaving China, you can't bring more than 25 kilograms, which is equivalent to one large suitcase or a couple of duffel bags," explains Elena Ivankina, head of a travel agency in Vladivostok. "So we're approached by ordinary people who are interested in visiting a neighboring country, seeing something new, or just getting some food!"

Indeed, against the backdrop of rising food prices in Russia and the high cost of public catering, even Chinese border towns seem like gastronomic paradises. Where in Russia can you get a whole plate of Peking duck with rice, salad, flatbread, and a whole teapot of premium tea for 700 rubles?

"I'll give you some rough food prices in Hunchun," a Russian tourist writes on social media. "Vegetable dishes in simple cafes started at ¥30 (348 ₽), meat dishes at ¥50 (580 ₽). A portion of shrimp with spare ribs at a popular restaurant cost ¥90 (1,044 ₽), and three of us ate it. For lunch, we got malatan at the food court—a soup where you choose the ingredients yourself and pay by weight. Everything is cooked in a spicy creamy broth. A fantastically delicious dish. A portion for two cost ¥36 (417 ₽)."

Three oysters with glass noodles at the evening street market cost us 10 yen (116 roubles), five two-bite skewers, and a serving of frozen yogurt with toppings were also 10 yen (116 roubles). We also tried fried frogs on a whim on this trip. We stopped at the Mr. Frog cafe. It turns out it's not named that way by accident.

Naturally, Russians' interest in cheap Chinese goods hasn't faded. Border towns like Hunchun are satisfying this desire to the fullest, opening new stores with fixed low prices.

The parade of items sold for next to nothing opens with the "Everything for two yuan" shopping centers, or 24 rubles at the official exchange rate. Guides in Hunchun make no secret of the fact that the main danger for Russians is buying a bunch of useless junk, only to throw away disposable toys, silly figurines, and useless souvenirs upon returning home. However, the "two-yuan" stores also sell a fair amount of useful household items, jewelry, cosmetics, and decent-quality stationery. The key is to keep your wits about you.

Well, if you don’t like anything for 24 rubles, then in one shopping center on another floor there will be stores “Everything for 5 yuan” and “Everything for 7 yuan.”

However, Russians aren't just chasing cheapness. In 2025, silk products became popular—bedding with temperature-regulating technology, silk scarves with nano-coatings, and memory foam pillows.

This season's clothing hits include ultra-lightweight down jackets made of graphene nylon, cashmere sweaters, breathable sportswear, windbreakers, and raincoats made of biodegradable materials.

"Our people also believe in the wonders of Chinese medicine, so many bring wild mint oil, considered a universal pain reliever, biologically active patches with cordyceps extract for stress relief and sleep, astragalus root tea, and lingzhi mushroom biocomplexes," says Elena Ivankina.

Naturally, mobile phones, various electronic gadgets, and household appliances traditionally remain top-selling items, as they are significantly cheaper in China than in Russia, the tour operator notes. The main thing is to ensure that these smartphones have firmware in Russian.

It depends on the number of days. The most economical option is a three-night trip. With bus and hotel costs, you can expect to spend around 15,000 rubles. One tourist posted a precise estimate for her four-day trip on social media:

Or you can travel to China yourself, without any intermediaries. This is now being done by people already familiar with navigating Hunchun and other locations. According to Elena Ivankina, day-trippers are also appearing, coming to buy cheap food, household cleaning supplies, and other daily necessities at home. However, border crossing in both directions can take two hours or more.

But overall, open borders without visas are better than any obstacles between two friendly countries ready to declare a strategic partnership beyond mutual trade and entertainment.