Heihe

Heihe (黑河; Hēihé) is a city in Heilongjiang Province in China.

Understand
Border town right on the Heilongjiang River across from the Russian city Blagoveshchensk. Heihe City has a population of more than 100,000 (1.7 million in the Heihe Prefecture). The city's economy is based on selling stuff to Russians, which is helped by Heihe and Blagoveshchensk forming a free-trade zone.

Get in
Residents of the Amur Oblast of Russia may enter Heihe without visa for one day, regareless of their purposes.

By train
Trains from Harbin take 10-13 hours and cost &yen;43-234. Other trains include from Qiqihar (11h30; &yen;38-133).

Buy
There are many shops here specialising in Russian products, so if you are into Russian dolls and kitch Russian artifacts, this is the place.



Go next

 * Take a boat trip to the Russian city Blagoveshchensk (Chinese citizens do not need visa, but check first if you do). In the winter, the river is frozen and can be crossed by bus.