Hunchun Port, the only land checkpoint in northeast China's Jilin Province open to Russia, experiences a sharp rise in cross-border travelers this winter, fueled by the booming ice-and-snow tourism in the country's northeastern region and festive celebrations.
At the dry port, vehicles transporting import and export goods have increased, and coaches carrying cross-border tourist groups have also become a common sight. With the growing popularity of the winter economy, coupled with festivals like New Year's Day and the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, the number of people entering and exiting through Hunchun Port continues to climb.
Last month, inbound travelers exceeded 13,000, setting a new record for a single month during winter.
Jan 14 marks the the beginning of an Old New Year in Russia, and many Russian tourists crossed the border early to celebrate in Hunchun. They filled the restaurants, enjoying Chinese delicacies to mark their holiday.
"I'm from Khabarovsk, and this is not my first time in Hunchun. I really like this city. It's clean, hospitable, and the hotels are great. I'm so happy to enjoy the delicious food here, and I'll definitely come back again. My friends all know how much we like this place, and we also recommend it to them for vacations," said Olga, a Russian tourist.
Hunchun Port provides direct access to Russian cities like Zarubino and Posyet. Its convenient transportation has greatly facilitated cross-border tourism. With the rising popularity of winter tourism in northeast China, more and more international tourists are choosing to enter China through Hunchun Port.
"Russian travelers visiting Hunchun can enjoy delicious food and also visit our cross-border e-commerce industrial park, where they can purchase global products at very affordable prices. This global shopping experience keeps them coming back for more," said Liu Yang, head of Hunchun Customs' Changling Office.
In addition to its convenient customs clearance services, Hunchun has another draw for international tour groups for being the starting or finishing point of what is hailed as the "most beautiful high-speed rail in northeast China."
Cross-border travelers can take buses or high-speed trains directly to destinations like Harbin, Changchun, Yanji, and Changbai Mountains, where they can experience skiing, hot springs, and other exciting winter activities while immersing themselves in unique ice-and-snow culture.
"This is my second trip from Vladivostok to China. I want to snowboard on the snowfields here. I really enjoy these winter activities, and I'll definitely come back to China in the future," said Stepan, Russian tourist.
According to statistics, a record high of more than 600,000 international travelers entered and exited Hunchun Port in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 1.3 times.
China's Hunchun port sees cross-border travel surge
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
