Independent travel to China. Which regions of China can Russians enter without a visa How much does it cost to go to China together
Behind dozens of Chinese cities. The road from the border with the Russian city of Zabaikalsk, which I crossed by train, to Laos, where I entered on foot. (Don't worry, then I got on the bus).
It was experimentally established that, firstly, China is a wonderful country for independent travel, and secondly, it is possible to travel abroad without even knowing the language, although it is still not clear how I managed to do it. The golden rule of any “take it and do it” business also applies to “take it and go” free travel.
Don't let the language factor bother you (they don't speak English in China), but you shouldn't relax either. Phrasebooks, guidebooks, the basics of English (at least to communicate with other foreign travelers) will come in handy. And the rest are details.
How to travel to China on your own?
Visa
Personally, I made a Chinese visa through an agency, simply giving my passport to specially trained people, while still in Russia. I won’t say that it was very difficult to submit the documents myself (although at that moment I lived in Kamchatka and agents, among other things, sent documents to Vladivostok, to the representative office), but I had one rule - the start should be easy. China is the first country of the first trip, and even independent, also alone. I decided to free myself somehow. Therefore, a passport, photo and money - all it took for 30 days to the People's Republic of China. But I extended it on my own, on the spot. The next 30 days were marked by the submission of the same documents.
Weather
China is a country so big that you can't get off with generalized conclusions about the weather. Decide on the exact location, and then check with eyewitness accounts for that region. Where are you planning: to the Himalayas or to Hainan? By the way, I have been to Hainan twice, and both times in October. Rumors about local typhoons are not exaggerated. I witnessed coconuts flying and palm trees uprooted the next morning. Although, if now someone asks whether it is possible to go to Hainan in October, I will not dissuade. Both times I had a great time. The industrious Chinese planted all the palm trees in their place literally the very next day after the hurricane.
Where to live
In hostels. This will provide you with pleasant (read "low") checks for accommodation, excellent acquaintances from among foreigners from all over the world and people who still speak and understand English, which is very important during a long stay in the country. According to my personal observations, hostels in China are some of the best in Asia, with the right atmosphere for the general drive of life and new discoveries. Stories like “I worked as a lawyer, and then I decided to change everything” or “We sold the car and drove around the world” are the norm in them. In addition, your travel colleagues also missed white faces and English speech, just like you. In China, a white man is a close friend to a white man, if not a relative. And don’t even worry about stupid things like “how can you live in a room for four?” The main thing is not for fourteen (anything happens), but otherwise you even like it. I guarantee.
Popular destinations
It’s also a limitless topic, so I’ll highlight my TOP places in the most “other” Asian country: Beijing and Shanghai - a look at the world from the top floors of skyscrapers sets you in the right mood; (Huangshan and others), Hainan is the same banal tropical island that one so dreams of from home; Guilin and Yangshuo with their karst hills and lulling rivers, as well as Yunnan province as a whole.
Transport
The experience of riding Chinese trains can be inserted into your resume as proof of courage and fortitude. How to read in Chinese, namely hieroglyphs, where your train is and when it leaves, if you are at a Beijing station the size of a small city and the wrong direction chosen can lead very far not only from the place of departure, but also from the truth in general? One fact is that you can travel on Chinese trains no matter what, I would even say: contrary. Each time, I was the only white face in the whole car and they constantly brought me some kind of food, trying to somehow satisfy my curiosity and stare at a white girl, without being able to otherwise compensate for the language barrier.
survive
To survive in China, and by survival, as you guessed, I mean getting to the right station and the right train, you need to clearly remember the “three people” rule, which reads as follows: “If you ask a Chinese how to get to the place you need (and , whether he suddenly answers you in English or reads your phrasebook and gestures), do not go in the indicated direction until at least three people point in the same direction. Simply put, ask at least three people “how to get there”, even if the first one knows exactly where you need to go and is ready to take you personally. Saying "I don't know" in China means losing face, this is a traditional feature. It is better to show it wrong, especially to some foreigner, than to goof off like that and show your ignorance. Ask again always and in everything, especially if you are in a hurry.
Otherwise, the safety rules are no different from other countries - stay vigilant and you will be happy on Chinese soil.
Do you want to confess? I still don’t understand how I managed to travel through all of China with a backpack on my back. As a result, the longer I lived in the hospitable countries of Southeast Asia, the more mysterious this Chinese “phenomenon” became for me. Everything in life is simpler than it seems. But this can only be found out experimentally. Good luck!
Many countries of the world have canceled such an entry formality as a visa for Russians. Under certain circumstances, our citizens can also visit China without a visa. The uniqueness of the Celestial Empire is that different migration rules apply in its different territories.
Residents of the border regions of Russia can enter some areas of China without a visa
If you have planned a trip to the largest country in East Asia, first find out if it is possible to visit the areas of your choice without first going to the country's embassy or visa center.
The Chinese side is loyal to the Russians entering its territory. However, the presence of concessions does not mean that you will be lenient if you violate the migration rules. Therefore, before you start packing your bags, carefully read the rules for visiting various regions of the PRC so that, being there, you do not become a violator of the laws of the state.
The most popular for travelers is to obtain a visa on arrival. This option is possible in cases where a pre-formed group is sent to the Celestial Empire. Travel agencies handle paperwork for groups. Even before sending tourists to China, their lists are sent to the border areas. To get to China in this way, you need to travel in a group that includes more than 2 people.
This path is suitable only for Beijing and Hainan Island, where high-quality tourist services are offered and the opportunity not only to relax, but also to receive medical treatment. As part of a group formed by travel agencies, you can stay on the territory of these parts of the state for no more than 21 days. You cannot leave them. You can leave, as well as arrived, only as part of a group.
Even if you do not plan to purchase a tour package, it makes sense to contact a travel agency. Many of them, for a fee, include additional people in the formed groups.
If your area borders China
Citizens of the Russian Federation living in regions sharing the border with China can freely stay in China without a visa:
- Amur region,
- Primorsky Territory,
- Irkutsk region,
- Khabarovsk Territory,
- Transbaikal Territory.
If you live in one of the listed regions, you will need to pass the border control, issued by the Chinese side. You also need a passport and a document that indicates where you are registered. With these documents, you will receive permission at the border checkpoint.
The period of stay on it in China varies from 15 to 180 days.
Before you go to the Middle Kingdom in this way, check which points at that time have the right to pass Russians with invitations. There are crossing points where such permits are not issued.
Transit travelers
Those who are traveling to other countries, but have purchased flights with a transfer in China, need to know the country's migration rules regarding transit guests.
Without visa documents, you have the right to stay in the state for 72 hours, provided that the transfer point is the following international airports: Harbin, Guangzhou, Guilin, Chongqing, Xi'an and Shenyang. In Shanghai, Xiamen, Qingdao, Chengdu, Wuhan, Kunming, Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qinhuangdao, Shijiazhuang and Shenyang, transit time can be 144 hours in 2020.
It is important that you depart from the same airport that you arrived at. This rule can only be bypassed in the following cases:
- Your flights are operated by one carrier.
- The airline changes airports due to the need to refuel the aircraft.
- You are served by different companies, but you have a single booking form with one code.
Not all transit passengers can travel freely within China. For example, if your drop off point is Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, or, you are allowed to admire the beauties of the city, but it is strictly forbidden to leave its limits.
Whatever airport you arrive at, you cannot change to other modes of transport other than an airplane to continue your journey.
Where a visa is not required
If you are thinking about how to travel to China on your own, without going to a travel agency to buy a package or join a group, consider visiting the country in various ways.
For example, you have the opportunity to go to Heihe without obtaining a visa. This is a city located very close to the Russian border. You can go to it from Blagoveshchensk, located just one kilometer away. It is enough to cross the Amur and you are in China. 
On a trip, you need to take from the documents only a passport for presentation at the border. Since 2004, Chinese migration legislation has allowed Russians to stay in Heihe for 30 days.
The trip from Blagoveshchensk to Heihe takes 15 to 20 minutes. The choice of transport depends on the season. In the off-season, Puma ships equipped with airbags are transported from Blagoveshchensk across the river to the Chinese side. Departure every 20 minutes. This method of crossing is relevant for December, November and April.
While in the region during the winter months, you can travel from Blagoveshchensk on one of the buses that cross the Amur River on temporary pontoon bridges. The availability of this type of travel to the Chinese borders depends on weather conditions.
In the summer, once an hour, people are transported along the Amur to Heihe by a motor ship carrying 200 passengers.
The Annunciation Way is extremely popular, so in order to pass the control, you need to stand in a rather impressive queue. To go to the other side, you need to fill out a migration card, half of which is returned after verification. It should be kept for the return crossing of the border. There is a fee for crossing to the Chinese side.
Suifenhe City
The city of Suifenhe, located in Heilongjiang province, is a great place to spend your holidays. Since 2013, Russian citizens can stay in it without a visa for 15 days.
Macau
In order to travel to the listed areas without a visa stamp in your passport, you need to have return tickets and a passport with you.
Before you travel, check which areas at the time of your trip may require proof of financial solvency and hotel reservations. But it’s better to stock up on both the first and the second, just in case. This guarantees you a hassle-free passage.
An article about ways to get to China from Russia.
One of the first questions when planning an independent trip to China is how to get to China. Transport costs often account for up to half of the total cost of a trip. First of all, you should decide for yourself which region of China you are going to visit. Based on this, you can plan how to get there. There are several options for getting to China from Russia: by plane, by train, by bus.
How to get to China from Russia on your own?
1. By plane from Russia to China
Aeroflot, S7, Air China, China Southern, China Eastern Airlines fly regularly from Russia to China. Flights are carried out from many cities of Russia. The largest choice of course is from Moscow: you can fly to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Urumqi and many other cities. Round-trip prices start from 17,000 rubles. for a flight with a transfer, and from 19,000 rubles. for direct flights. You can also fly from Novosibirsk to Urumqi for 11,000 rubles, to Beijing for 19,000 rubles. The cheapest flights to China from Khabarovsk and Vladivostok: to Beijing - 12,000 rubles. round-trip, to Harbin - 9000 rubles, to Shanghai - 16000 rubles.
There are promotions and sales - you can get a ticket even cheaper. In the midst of the tourist season, on the contrary, the cost rises. So it is better to take a plane ticket in advance or on a promotional basis. Find the cheapest airfare to China, you can search in the form below. The system itself will select tickets for more than 700 airlines and many booking systems.
To buy the cheapest plane tickets, read where the main ways to save money on buying a ticket are discussed.
Airplanes within China fly very often and in any direction, so you can always quickly fly even to a small town, making a transfer in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, etc.
2. By train from Russia to China
Getting to China by train is quite easy, but long. There are two trains from Moscow to Beijing. Train No. 043 transits Mongolia, so you will need a transit visa from this country. It goes once a week on Tuesdays, travel time is 132 hours, the cost is about 9000 rubles. for a reserved seat and this price is growing. Another train number 020 travels through Zabaikalsk immediately to China (i.e., bypassing Mongolia). It runs once a week on Saturdays, travel time is 145 hours, the cost is even more expensive than the previous one.
A train runs from Almaty to Urumqi once a week, travel time is 35 hours, the cost is 5000 rubles.
3. By bus from Russia to China
Several buses run from the Far Eastern border cities of Russia to China.
Summarizing, we can say that for residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and the central regions of Russia, the best option to get to China is by plane. You can save money only by hitchhiking to Zabaikalsk or Blagoveshchensk)). For residents of the Urals and Western Siberia, a bus from the cities of Kazakhstan is a good option. For residents of the Far East, it is also most convenient to cross the border with China by bus, and then by train through China.
How to get to China from Kazakhstan?
Now let's look at how to get to China from Kazakhstan, because a lot of people from this country read us.
1. By plane from Kazakhstan to China
You can fly directly to China by plane from Almaty and Astana with Air Astana and China Southern airlines. The event is quite expensive, but it is fast - just an hour and a half and you are in Urumqi. Flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing are also available, but with a transfer in Urumqi.
It is best to search for flights on metasearch engines, for example, or.
I also advise you to look and subscribe to, sometimes you can catch good prices!
2. By train from Kazakhstan to China
The train from Kazakhstan to China runs from Astana and from Almaty. Moreover, I did not manage to find out the exact price for these trains, the website of the Kazakhstan Railways does not show them and you cannot buy tickets for these trains there, unfortunately.
Train No. 54Ts runs from Astana to Urumqi on Saturdays, it takes a little more than 40 hours on the way.
Two trains run from Almaty: No. 014Ts on Tuesdays (travel time 31 hours) and No. 014 T on Sundays (travel time 31 hours). The cost of them is 20,000 tenge. So I was told in the reference railway station in Almaty. Not very budget friendly!
3. By bus from Kazakhstan to China
As mentioned above, many buses run from the cities of eastern Kazakhstan to Urumqi and some other cities in the XUAR.
From Semey (Semipalatinsk) the bus to Urumqi runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, travel time is 30 hours, cost is 9000 tenge.
From Ust-Kamenogorsk schedule and price are the same.
From Almaty the bus to Urumqi runs every day except Saturday. The fare is also about 9000 tenge.
Back from China you can get to Almaty, Semipalatinsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk, as well as to Zyryanovsk, Ridder, Taldykurgan, Chundzha and even Karaganda! But for the last cities, the information is not accurate, we just saw the prices at the bus station in Urumqi.
4. Combined way to get from Kazakhstan to China
From Almaty, you can take a bus to the border town of Zharkent, not far from the Khorgos border crossing, where you can cross the border on a special bus. Then you need to get to any more or less large city, for example, to Yining, and from there to Urumqi. Such is the hard way to get to China.
But the cost will be inexpensive: the Almaty-Zharkent bus is about 1000 tenge, from the border to Yining about 50 yuan, and then on the Yining-Urumqi train (about 100 yuan).
A few years ago, I happened to make a trip to China on my own. In this article I will tell you about all the subtleties of this way of visiting this wonderful country. Of course, if you already have a paid tourist voucher to China, then you should not fence the garden. In this case, feel free to go with a tour group.
If you don't have a lot of money... Or do you have a spirit of adventurism…. Or did you just find yourself by the will of fate not far from China .... Then .. Then it might be worth trying to go on your own. So, read this article. Hope it helps you..
How I decided to go to China
As a matter of fact, the idea to visit this interesting country arose for me quite a long time ago. There are several reasons.
First, I have been to Europe quite a lot, but I have never been to Asia. I wanted to compare.
The second - when I was in military service (a very long time ago :) I served literally on the border with China and ... of course, I also wanted to see it since then.
And third, by the nature of his work. At that time, our company was carrying a lot of goods from China. And I had to communicate a lot with the Chinese. I even started learning Chinese a little :). Well, the Chinese were actively invited to visit.
By the way, all the photos in the series of articles about China are mine :) And they are clickable (increase by clicking).
Well, now ... The authorities (and then I was still a hired worker) instructed me to open branches in the Far East. Vladivostok. Khabarovsk. Blagoveshchensk. And again, the old idea of an independent trip to China was revived. Why not? After all, he's here...
Options for "getting" to China
In general, if you live in the European part of Russia. Or, like me, in the Urals, a trip to China will be quite expensive. Of course, the main item of expenditure is airfare. Well, in general, any tickets to China. What are the options to get to China on your own.
A. Train Moscow-Beijing. This is the most exotic option. For those who don’t care to do it, it’s interesting to travel a lot. The train runs only in Russia for about a week. Yes, and in China then a few days. I honestly don't know anyone in their right mind who would make such a trip :).
b. Direct flight to China. Or with transfers. This is probably the most correct option for most lovers of independent travel to China. Despite the fact that the air ticket is quite expensive, sometimes there are very good discounts. And you can fly (or fly) from China two to three times cheaper than the regular price. By the way, I flew back from Beijing. On such a sale ticket. Also look at flights not to Beijing, but to other cities in China. Sometimes (very rarely) it is more profitable to fly to other cities and then get there by train or buses. But there are ambushes, which are below ...
Flights are very inexpensive - click here!
V. If you somehow ended up in Kazakhstan, then try to drive from Almaty to Urumqi. You can get there by regular bus. I myself saw how Chinese guest workers got into a minibus (by the way, the stop is near the main market of Almaty) and left for China. Most likely there are more civilized buses and trains. But then you have to go to Guangzhou. And from there to Beijing. I myself have not traveled that way, so see similar options elsewhere.
G. Well, if you somehow ended up in the Far East or around... That's bingo! From here opens the easiest way to China for independent travel! Simple enough cut the barbed wire at the border, put on shoes with hoof prints and under the cover of night ... drive just a few kilometers and you are in China!
Yes. And I'm considering a tourist trip. And it basically assumes that you will somehow get to Beijing. At the beginning of the journey or at the end. I don’t consider vacation options on Hainan Island .... This one is from another opera :)
How did I get to China?
I happened to get to Blagoveshchensk at the expense of the company where I worked. Again, for the company. I came to Blagoveshchensk from Khabarovsk. By the way, you can get directly from Khabarovsk to China. As far as I remember, there is a bus from Khabarovsk to the local Chinese border town (I forgot the name, it seems to start with F). But he travels about a hundred other kilometers. It was uncomfortable for me then.
So. For a trip to China on my own, I chose the border crossing in the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe region. Fortunately, these cities stand on two opposite banks of the river at a distance of 5 kilometers from each other. Small boats go there in summer. In winter, I don't know. I was in autumn. And we were transported by hovercraft. But that was three years ago. Now they say that the bridge has already been built.
From Heihe, I took a train to Harbin. And from there by train to Beijing. I flew from Beijing directly to Yekaterinburg by plane. This is in short. I will go into more detail about each step later….
3. A little bit about China… Boring necessary info
So. Read some information about China before your trip. I'm going to write "everything in a bunch" here. What do I remember. So, it's great not to scold :)
Vehicle rights.
As far as I know, the European driving license to China is not valid. Although, of course, I can inadvertently lie. Better check yourself. But ... I would not advise you to drive on the roads of the Celestial Empire on a rented car on your own, even you will have such an opportunity. Why? It's all about traffic...
Road traffic.
For a solo traveler to China, the traffic will look like hell at first glance! A huge number of cars and everyone is going somewhere! Everyone honks with or without… Cheerful! And, oddly enough, there are no accidents. A European driver in such a "porridge" will be uncomfortable.
By the way, pedestrians are also cool. The fact is that Chinese car owners are NOT required to give way to pedestrians at pedestrian intersections. That is, first cars pass, and then pedestrians in small dashes .... :). Despite this, I did not see pedestrians get hurt. Moreover, several times I had to cross a huge 10-lane road with a broken traffic light. And nothing ... Cars honk, but let pass ...
yuan
During my trip, the yuan exchange rate was 5:1. Now... now higher. You can change Yuan for a trip to China on your own without any problems right at the border. I don’t know about airports, but in the city of Heihe they change directly at customs without any problems. The course is much more profitable than in Russia. By the way, in Russia it is still often not possible to find yuan in exchangers.
About the use of bank cards. And cash withdrawals. I didn't use it. But acquaintances who tried to pay for purchases with Russian Visa cards complained that there were ambushes. So, it is better to look for information on this topic on other resources.
Language.
The Chinese language, oddly enough, is quite easy to learn. More on this below. More precisely, in another article .. I recommend ... I strongly recommend ... stock up on cards on which the main “tourist” phrases will be written in hieroglyphs on one side (and Russian words on the other, so you don’t get confused :)) . And the name of the cities where you will go (for buying tickets).
Yes. The Russian language is well understood and spoken in the border towns. Away from the border, the Chinese will no longer understand you. And even in Beijing, very few people speak English. In Russian - even less. So, independent travelers to China, learn Chinese!
mentality
The Chinese are mostly simple open people. They helped me constantly. They suggested. Very polite. In general, the Chinese are quite uncomplicated :). What they think is what they say. Well, of course, if they are not bargaining with you at this time!
By the way, if a Chinese is an official, then be prepared to express respect and reverence to him. It is necessary! Even if it seems that he (the official) is talking down to you a little - do not pay attention. This is such a "bureaucratic" style of conversation. How to recognize an official? Very simple! He will be dressed in formal dress. Even the conductors on the train resemble the appearance of our generals :).
Well, more. Lots of Chinese! There are a lot of them! Even where it seems they should not be - they are! And they move in small groups of 100-200 people! :) But oddly enough, even if there is a long queue (in the opinion of a European), it moves very quickly!
Attitude towards Russians
Very good. But... Many Chinese of the older generation did not fail to express their negative attitude to what is happening in Russia now. Like: "We looked up to you as older brothers, and you ...". Young people are increasingly focused on America and Europe. And he tries to learn English, not Russian.
In cities where there are not very many "white people", many will come up to take pictures with you :). So it was with me in Harbin. In the "Russian village". But more on that later.
But .. still remember that the Chinese consider themselves "center". That is, "the most important". Not without reason, the self-name of China is translated as “Central State”! And other foreigners will still be, shall we say, less equal than the Chinese...
Prices
After the appreciation of the yuan, prices in China are not so small anymore. And especially in Beijing. I would say that the prices there are at the level of Russia. Maybe just a little lower. Of course, there are options to save money, but ... Do not expect to buy an ultra-modern smartphone much cheaper ... Or clothes and shoes. It is cheaper, but at almost the same price you can buy it in Russia ...
Well, or buy very cheap - that's bullshit! :) As well as with us!
But ... keep in mind that you can and should bargain with the Chinese! Especially in the markets. As a result, you can bring down the price several times!
Chinese salary
This is not surprising, given that wages in China have caught up and outperformed the average wage in Russia. The times when the Chinese lived for $1 a day are long gone! Pensions in China are also commonplace. And they are constantly growing. And the retirement age is coming down!
Trains
Trains are of several categories. Please note that there are tickets without seats! At the same time, over a fairly long distance! With an unsuccessful scenario, you can stand on your feet for 8-10 hours! Therefore, buy in a regular reserved seat or coupe. Such tickets cost about 30% less than ours.
By the way, there are also high-speed trains. Very convenient and comfortable. But also quite expensive!
Please note that train stations are usually very crowded. And not always you will find seats. So, if possible, come to the station as close to the train departure as possible. By the way, sometimes some dark personalities sell seats :) at a not very expensive price. I did not use these "services", so I can not say anything ...
You will be let out on the platform literally 10-15 minutes before the train departure. Get on the wagon! For orientation, right at the exit, the scoreboard shows where the head and where the tail of the train is. Very comfortably!
Buses
For an independent trip to China (more precisely in China), you can consider traveling by bus. Unlike our buses, the Chinese ones have lying places. It turns out a bus version of a reserved seat car.
Aircraft
I won't say anything about them. I don't know... Didn't fly on domestic airlines. Better look elsewhere
Timezone
China is located in 5 time zones. But the time is the same everywhere - Beijing time! Difference with Moscow + 5 hours.
Help
Often in border towns, after you have passed customs, so-called "helpers" may approach you. They speak Russian well and are ready to take you where you need to go. Well, tell me what and where. Basically, there is nothing wrong here. I myself used the services of one "helping" to find the right address. They do not raise prices much (although of course it will be cheaper for you to get on your own in a “regular” taxi). But no problems with the language barrier. Just before you use their services, you need to discuss the price in detail! Otherwise, you can "get"!
Connection
No one from Russia called me (and I didn't) during the trip. But in China, I had to make several calls. To do this, they bought me (more on this later) a local SIM card for 200 rubles. This turned out to be enough.
Internet
With the Internet for those who went to China on their own, an ambush. The fact is that wi-fi is everywhere, but only registered users can enter there. You can only register with your passport. The registration interface is only in Chinese ... In short, I was only able to access the Internet at the hotel. They gave me the Wi-Fi password and I was able to connect.
But this is not the case everywhere.
By the way. Some "foreign" sites (not Chinese) may be blocked. For example, facebook. Or YouTube. Keep that in mind.!
Food
There are no problems with food in China for an independent traveler! There are many. She's cheap! And eateries are everywhere where you can eat! The food is delicious! I recommend Chinese beer! Very cool and cheap!
As for exotics like fried grasshoppers or dog meat - don't worry! In the vast majority of "canteens" they are not. Unless you want to try it yourself. Although I still recommend learning the hieroglyph "dog" .... For every…
By the way, not far from the place where I spent the night (more on that in the next article), there is a large exotic food market. I wouldn't recommend eating it. But it's interesting to see!
I draw your attention to the fact that quite often you can find very spicy food. Also learn these hieroglyphs. I was “saved” several times from ordering such dishes by locals!
By the way. In the order of things, bring your own water to the "cafe" and order only food.
In cafes and restaurants, it is customary to take an advance payment from the visitor, so don't be surprised... About tips... Who knows. I read, before the trip, that you can’t leave a tip, otherwise the Chinese will be offended. Other sources wrote that on the contrary, it should be left. But only to waiters and porters. In Harbin, for the sake of interest, I did not leave a tip. And nothing... Nobody said anything. In Beijing, on the contrary, he left it. Got it with no problem...
Well… there are no forks anywhere! Learn to eat with chopsticks!
By the way, all sorts of McDonald's appeared in China. So if you want, you can eat there. But why do this, you can go there at home!
Buying tickets
If you are an extreme person in life, and a trip to China on your own is a common thing for you, then you can try to buy tickets at the box office on the spot. At the same time, you should not be embarrassed by huge (really huge!) queues and ignorance of the Chinese language. Be prepared in this case, or not buy tickets at all or go to hell in the middle of nowhere :)
I acted wisely. Even more expensive. But not much. I booked tickets in advance from a Chinese "assistant" through a travel agency in Blagoveshchensk. The Chinese "assistant" bought tickets in advance and gave them to me already in Heihe. That's all! But more about this in my other article ...
Crime
I have never met even hooligans. I did not notice at all that the Chinese violated the order. In general, there are a lot of police in China. And she's not very noticeable. But if some kind of bad-boom appeared, then they are right there ....
toilets
Concluding this enchanting article, I could not pass by such a “sensitive” topic. But ... I will note a couple of points.
First, there are many toilets in China. They are everywhere! And they are free.. And clean enough! That is, in China, an independent traveler can easily both eat and…. vice versa…
The second - in many toilets there is no toilet :) How can I put it mildly ... “Toilet like a toilet” :) Just a hole in the floor. Well, I am writing this in order not to be a surprise. :) Although everything is fine in hotels and hostels "for foreigners"! Toilets are there!
Phew. OK. You can continue indefinitely. Like I said the main thing. Well, if there are more questions - just write to me .. I will answer.
Your Traveler Online
Alexander Bessonov
Several familiar bloggers visited Blagoveshchensk last year. They wrote a lot about the capital of the Amur Region, but for some reason almost nothing about the Chinese side. When I asked why, everyone gave different reasons, but I was even afraid that they were forcibly formatting flash drives and erasing memory on the road. After all, it cannot be that a person, having found himself in another country for the first time, will not write anything about it!
Fear-fear, but interest is stronger. I captured the stages of crossing the border, despite the fact that photography is strictly prohibited there.
Residents of Blagoveshchensk constantly travel to China, they do not need a visa. It used to be for every weekend, but now it has become more difficult due to the increased exchange rate of the yuan. For some reason, Russians from other regions are convinced that only those who have an Amur residence permit in their passport can travel without a visa.
In fact, any resident of Russia can enter the border city of Heihe if he has a passport. Theoretically, you can even get to Beijing without a visa or arrange a trip throughout China. In practice, this adventure is likely to end in failure - when boarding a train or plane, your documents will be checked by border guards. But you will have enough color in Heihe, especially if you have never been to China.
1 When I was going on the road, the first thing I did was to exchange rubles for yuan. I did this in Blagoveshchensk, fearing that the course would be worse on the Chinese side. Do not repeat my mistake: as long as the situation is such that the Chinese will give you more: the ruble has become twice cheaper, they are happy to come to us to buy their own goods. In general, if we are talking about a small one - change where you want.
2 The trip to China starts from the river port. In winter and summer, the only difference is how you will be transported to the other side: in winter it is a bus, in summer a boat.
3 Prices bite. A regular ticket costs 2150 rubles. In the summer it is not much cheaper, maybe 200 rubles. The whole embarrassment of the situation is that the trip will take a maximum of five minutes, the bus will simply transport you to the other side of the river and drop you off at Chinese customs.
4 It's still on our shore. Chinese beauty does not freeze at -25!
5 The waiting rooms of the river station could certainly be refurbished, with the money they receive for fares. And now there are so few people, before the jump in the rate, large crowds dangled to China, people missed two or three buses, they could not get in there. The income is huge. There is duty free, where the cat cried.
6 Buses run every 15 minutes. It's made in China, of course. But the numbers are Russian. And the driver is Russian. And I, with a Russian passport, also get on this bus.
7 For some reason, the Chinese have their own transport. Apartheid in the Far East. They say that in a Chinese transport company, travel is several times cheaper. But we can't go there.
8 Hovercraft are not used. Apparently, they are simply not needed, the flow of people moving is minimal. After all, if I didn’t mess up anything, can these ships move on ice?
9 We go down to the floating bridge. It's five barges chained together. In winter, they block the Amur, and people can ride on them. Private transport is prohibited, only buses and occasionally Chinese trucks.
10 In fact, with such a passenger flow and active trade, a normal bridge suggests itself. In addition, our neighbor is China, which is famous for its ability to build roads and bridges in the shortest possible time. The first shuttles began to travel en masse in the early nineties, twenty years ago. And ten years ago, in 2004, our countries agreed on visa-free entry through this border crossing. There were even more people. Time to build a bridge? No, time to buy new boats and buses.
They say that every time Moscow asks why there is still no bridge over the Amur in Blagoveshchensk, local authorities go to the capital and somehow settle the issue. Too profitable business, to take two thousand rubles for five hundred meters of the road. She is called by the people - "golden mile".
Perhaps things will get off the ground by next year, when they promise to build a cable car here. Although this, too, is not at all an easy way, and you can take the same two thousand for a ride. Wouldn't it be easier to build a bridge? No, we have a special way.
11 The arrival hall is heavily smoky. This is the first thing that catches your eye. They smoke inside the station and are not shy. The interior looks like a small airport, everything is much more decent than in the port of Blagoveshchensk.
Border formalities go through quickly, but you still need to pay a little more. On their side, the Chinese are asking for another 100 yuan (today about a thousand rubles) for two tickets. One seems to be the visa fee and the other is the entrance ticket. Yes, China entry ticket.
12 As soon as you leave the border zone, a million Chinese rush to you, who begin obsessively offering their taxi services, assistance in accommodation. If you are Domodedovo Airport at rush hour, then you should understand what I mean. Only here they bombed ten times more, and they pester ten times more actively. I didn't know how to get rid of them.
Suddenly, the hall was filled with uniformed men armed with shields and clubs. Military police. The coolest guys from Chinese law enforcement. They began to circle around the room, banging their boots on the tiled floor and batons on their asses. This is how you have to deal with obsessive bombers, learn!- I thought.
In fact, they just walked in a circle and went to another room. Such security measures were introduced by the Chinese authorities after a bloody attack at a railway station last year. They don't have entry barriers.
13 Here I am free. The Ferris wheel, which so beckoned from Blagoveshchensk, turned out to be unfinished up close. The builders screwed up, and he was not accepted for safety reasons. Or maybe on purpose? Is this a Potemkin village?
14 The city, which lives entirely on trade with Russia, is now going through hard times. It is necessary to change the schemes: Heihe is the very north, and by the standards of China, a distant province. And they brought a lot of goods.
15 The closest building to the customs office is the shopping center “Ostrov”, the nastiest place in the city. By the way, we really are on the island, moreover, it once belonged to Russia. At what point and how the Chinese ended up there, I don’t know, tell me. After all, they fought for the uninhabited Damansky in the sixties, but this one was given up without a fight?
16 Inside, at first glance, an ordinary shopping center with all sorts of junk. The main thing, as I understand it, is not to rise above the first floor. They say that they can beat a tourist there if you stop to look at the window, and then you don’t buy anything. It is especially dangerous now when there are no Russians in the city. Or maybe they're pushing.
17 Funny Chinese signs in Russian start here.
18 Although what awaits us in the city itself is much cooler. There will even be a separate post about them!
19 Vodka shop is my favorite!
21 There is another shopping center just behind the Island. The same Yuan dong, which is so clearly visible from the Blagoveshchensk coast. Near it there are buses that go to the center. Usually everyone uses taxi services: it is inexpensive even now, within a hundred rubles in the city. But the bus costs ten.
22 What is the first thing to do in China? Breakfast, it's time. In the morning, the stomach is empty. Even if the noodle shop is not yet open, but is open - come in, you will not be left hungry.
23 Igor met me in Heihe. He lives in China, is fluent in the language and does business, helping to ship goods across the border, and then send them to transport companies throughout Russia. Igor is the king of shuttles :) And I, the cudgel, will never learn how to take pictures properly on goPro - people turn out to be different from what they are in life.
24 Now I will tell you about the way back, it is also interesting. I will definitely tell you about the two days that I spent with the Chinese.
25 The border guards will ask for 35 yuan. It's a ticket out of China, yes. Not a bribe, an official fee. I seem to like taking pictures with my phone - the quality is lame, but it's not as bad as it used to be. But stealth is the best weapon of a spy and a photoblogger. In summer, you can even shoot border guards if you put your phone in your shirt pocket.
26 The same “Russian” bus and a cheerful driver who said that the cable car, it seems, will really be built, and then he will not have a job. Because in summer the same driver is the captain of the boat.
27 I was driving back in good weather, I was able to shoot this wonderful bridge. Normal bridge. You can’t go fast on it, but it is several hundred meters long. The pontoons were built half from Chinese barges, half from Russian ones. This is the Chinese part.
28 And this is ours. Noticeable difference, right? And it's not that the barges themselves are older and narrower, although this is also the case. But couldn't the road have been cleaned properly? No you can not. Just like you can't build a bridge.
29 Such is the journey. Nothing extreme, as you can see. But how terrible China is, how it is painted - I will tell you in the next report.
