MOSCOW, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- "I was surprised lately how many restaurant waiters and staff at scenic spots asked me to help them pronounce Chinese words," said Dmitry Dobrolyubov, a veteran Russian tour guide who has spoken Mandarin for more than two decades. What struck him was not the curiosity itself, but its urgency. "They weren't asking for bigger tips," he said. "They wanted to get it right."
The eagerness is spreading. This winter, as snow settled along the Moskva River, visa-free travel between China and Russia has ushered in a steady stream of Chinese tour groups -- families bundled in down jackets, retirees clutching thermoses, young couples pausing for photos at Red Square. Near the Kremlin, Dobrolyubov said, he once counted more than 20 small Chinese groups passing through within minutes. "Unprecedented," he said.
On Moscow's streets, the impact of visa-free policy reveals itself in small, everyday exchanges -- a waiter testing a Mandarin greeting, a tourist savoring local life in a neighborhood cafe, a shared laugh when words finally click across languages. The visa waiver has shortened the distance between the two countries. More importantly, Dobrolyubov believes, it is weaving threads of friendship tighter between their peoples.
EASIER TRIPS, DEEPER BONDS
Sitting in a cafe with a delicate slice of cake, Chinese tourist Zhao Zhiwei browsed photos just taken with friends at Moscow's Red Square, thrilled by their first sight of heavy snow.
For Zhao, the visa-free trip felt fresh, even after four prior visits to Russia. "This is my fifth trip to Russia, but my first visa-free," he said. Entry was highly convenient, and the Chinese-language support at the airport made the process even smoother.
"I celebrated my 22nd birthday under the aurora with wishes from new Russian friends. Turning 22 abroad, surrounded by joy, meant so much," Zhao said.
Just 10 days after starting to plan the journey, Sun Yidan found herself standing in the heaviest snowfall Moscow had seen in decades. For someone from Jiangsu Province in southeastern China, where winter is mild and snow rarely lasts, it felt like stepping into a fairy tale.
"Thanks to the visa-free policy, I finally lived my dream of seeing this stunning scenery," she said.
For Zhang Shaojie, local kindness saved his trip. "When I realized I'd lost a phone, my heart sank, especially abroad," he recalled, still relieved.
But help arrived quickly. "The taxi driver found my phone and tracked me down to return it," Zhang said. Unable to speak each other's language, they relied on basic English and translation tools to communicate.
Near Red Square, employees in vintage costumes stepped out of a photo studio to greet passing Chinese tourists in Mandarin: "Xin Nian Kuai Le!" (Happy New Year), their cheerful voices ringing through the frosty air.
Chinese tourist numbers have more than doubled thanks to the visa-free policy, said studio manager Ilya. Friendly Chinese guests have brought great joy, inspiring staff to learn Chinese for better communication.
ELEVATED EXPERIENCES
In Sanya, the tropical resort city in south China's Hainan Province, 11 direct international routes now link it to 10 major Russian cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan.
The welcome begins even before Russian tourists leave the airport.
Visa-free lane travelers get language assistance, with multilingual signs available throughout the airport. "This is my third trip to Sanya, and it gets easier every time," said Russian visitor Alisa. "The one-stop service center helped me book a taxi and recommended family spots," she smiled, leaving with her family.
Across Sanya, 76 bus stops have Russian signs, and the city hotline offers 24-hour Russian service.
Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, is another hotspot destination for Russian tourists, not least for its giant pandas. Chengdu has streamlined payments by directly supporting 21 overseas e-wallets. Over 5,000 ATMs and 1,300 bank branches offer foreign card withdrawals and currency exchange.
At Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, overseas visitor numbers topped 356,000 in 2025, drawn by the 71-meter cliff-carved statue that has stood for over a millennium.
Svetlana, a Russian traveler on her 37th trip to China, paused silently before the giant Buddha, still in awe. "Every traveler should see the world's largest Buddha statue," she said.
"It was amazing!" Russian visitor Lebedeva Anastasiia said of Chengdu. "Customs and entry were incredibly convenient, totally hassle-free."
To meet surging travel demand, Chengdu operates 83 regular direct international and regional routes, ranking first in central and western China and fourth nationwide. With daily flights across Asia and to Europe, Chengdu has become a key hub linking China and Russia.
Visa-free travel has also boosted Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tourism.
Alexey, 53, received moxibustion therapy in Hunchun, a border city in northeast China, relieving his insomnia and cervical spondylosis.
"My hands and feet used to be always numb. My symptoms are gone and my sleep is much better," he said, adding the visa-free policy makes regular trips easy.
TIES BEYOND TOURISM
With visa-free convenience, travelers no longer rush through landmarks, but slow down to experience cities at a relaxed pace.
In a traditional Chengdu teahouse, porcelain lids clink softly as steam curls up. Sunlight filters through courtyards onto stone floors. Visitors learn to sip tea slowly, savoring every moment.
"The China-Russia visa-free policy has boosted tourism and people-to-people exchanges, driving forward bilateral relations," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Beyond tourism, the mutual visa-free policy has deepened cooperation across sectors.
In just over two months, Zhang Heting has grown used to easy travel between China and Russia, clearing customs with nothing more than a passport.
As project manager at ITE China, a leading international exhibition organizer, Zhang said the policy cuts planning time drastically. "Trips that took weeks to arrange now take days," she said.
The visa-free policy will greatly reduce time and communication costs for bilateral business cooperation, said Maria Yegorova, board member of Russian grain firm Melkom.
More frequent business travel will unlock new opportunities and energize economic and trade ties, added Zhou Liqun, president of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia.
The China-Russia Years of Education kicks off this year, injecting new momentum into bilateral exchanges in education and people-to-people cooperation. "The visa-free policy makes short-term study and research visits far easier for Russian students and teachers," said Zhao Chunlu, minister counsellor for education affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Russia.
According to Maya Lomidze of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, Chinese tourist arrivals in Russia rose 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 and are expected to increase a further 30 percent in summer 2026. ■