China-Russia Border Tourist Area is located in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, covering parts of Manzhouli City and Ergun City. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and a comprehensive tourist area integrating border scenery, exotic culture, and grassland customs. The total area of the scenic area is about 5.7 square kilometers, with the China-Russia border line as a link, integrating the cultural characteristics of China, Russia, and Mongolia. It boasts unique border geographical features, including natural landscapes such as grasslands, lakes, forests, and boundary rivers, as well as human landscapes such as Russian-style buildings, border ports, and folk villages. Among them, Manzhouli Port is one of the largest land ports in China, with annual customs clearance volume ranking among the top in the country. Most buildings in the scenic area adopt Russian-style, with bright colors and unique shapes, forming the unique border style of "seeing Russia and Mongolia at a glance, and hearing the rooster crowing in three countries".
Historical Culture
The history of the Hulunbuir China-Russia border area can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty, when it was an important channel for Sino-Russian trade, forming a border trade circle centered on Manzhouli. After the completion of the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1901, Manzhouli became an important transportation hub and commercial port. Russian-style buildings and Russian folk customs gradually integrated into the local area, forming the characteristics of multi-cultural integration.
For a long time, people from both sides of China and Russia have had frequent exchanges in economy, culture, etc., forming a unique border culture. A large number of living customs of the Sino-Russian mixed ethnic group (Chinese-Russian descendants) are preserved locally, and their language, diet, architecture, etc., all reflect the integration of Chinese and Russian cultures. For example, the "lieba" making skills and Russian-style wooden house construction skills of Chinese-Russian descendants have been included in the intangible cultural heritage list.
In addition, the Russian ethnic villages and yurt tribes in the scenic area display the cultural heritage of different ethnic groups. The annual China-Russia-Mongolia Three Countries Tourism Festival, Manzhouli Ice and Snow Festival and other activities further promote the exchange and integration of the three countries' cultures, and have become an important part of the scenic area's historical culture.
Main Attractions
Manzhouli National Gate Scenic Area
Manzhouli National Gate Scenic Area is the core attraction of Hulunbuir China-Russia Border Tourist Area, located in the west of Manzhouli City, covering an area of about 200,000 square meters. The existing national gate is the fifth-generation building, with a height of 43.7 meters, a width of 46.6 meters, and a length of 105 meters. It was completed in 2008 and is currently the largest national gate at land ports in China. There is an observation deck on the top of the national gate, from which you can overlook the scenery of Zabaikalsk City, Russia. Inside the gate, there is a China Land Port Memorial Hall, which shows the development process of China's border ports through objects, pictures, etc. The scenic area also retains historical relics such as the site of the fourth-generation national gate and the steam locomotive of the Chinese Eastern Railway, witnessing the changes of border trade.
Matryoshka Square
Matryoshka Square is a landmark attraction in Manzhouli City, covering an area of about 870,000 square meters. With Russian traditional matryoshka as the theme, it is the largest matryoshka-themed square in the world. In the center of the square stands a 30-meter-high giant matryoshka sculpture, with a Russian-style restaurant and a performance hall inside. There are nearly a thousand small matryoshka sculptures of various shapes around, as well as Russian-style buildings, fountains, sculpture groups, etc. The square also has Russian folk custom experience halls, matryoshka theaters and other facilities, where Russian song and dance performances are staged every day. Tourists can participate in interactive activities such as matryoshka making and Russian painting.
Ergun Wetland Scenic Area
Ergun Wetland Scenic Area is located in Ergun City, about 200 kilometers away from Manzhouli. It is the core area of natural landscapes in the scenic area, with a total area of about 126,000 hectares, of which the core scenic area is about 3 square kilometers. The wetland has winding rivers and dense vegetation, and is one of the best-preserved and largest wetlands in China, known as "the first wetland in Asia". There are wooden plank road viewing platforms in the scenic area, with a length of about 2.5 kilometers. Tourists can overlook the whole wetland, enjoy the natural landscape of interwoven rivers, lakes and grasslands, and see a large number of waterfowls inhabiting here in summer.
Russian Ethnic Village
Russian Ethnic Village is located in Enhe Township, Ergun City, which is the only Russian ethnic township in China. Most of the residents in the village are Chinese-Russian descendants, retaining complete Russian folk culture. The village covers an area of about 5 square kilometers, and most of the houses are Russian-style wooden buildings, built with logs, with thick walls, which are warm in winter and cool in summer. There are Russian folk museums, lieba houses, saunas, etc. in the village. Tourists can experience traditional Russian food (such as lieba, borscht), participate in ethnic song and dance performances, learn Russian phrases, etc., and feel the strong Russian style.
Hulun Lake Scenic Area
Hulun Lake Scenic Area is located about 40 kilometers southeast of Manzhouli City. It is the largest lake in Inner Mongolia and the fifth largest freshwater lake in China, with a total area of about 2,339 square kilometers and a planned area of about 30 square kilometers. Hulun Lake, also known as "Dalai Lake", means "a lake like the sea" in Mongolian. The lake water is clear and the surrounding grasslands are vast, making it a good place to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery and experience grassland customs. The scenic area has viewing platforms, cruise terminals and other facilities. Tourists can take boats to visit the lake. In summer, they can participate in fishing, beach bathing and other activities. After the lake is frozen in winter, they can experience ice cars, ice fishing and other projects.
Food
Hand-Held Meat
Hand-held meat is a traditional food of the Mongolian people in Hulunbuir area, which can be tasted in the yurt restaurants in the scenic area. Choose locally raised mutton (mostly lamb ribs or legs), boil it in clear water, and eat it with salt or wild leek flowers. The meat is tender and retains the original flavor of mutton. This food reflects the bold dietary style of the Mongolian people and is a must-choice dish to experience grassland food culture.
Russian Lieba
Russian lieba is a traditional bread of the Russian people, which can be seen everywhere in Manzhouli urban area and Russian ethnic villages. It is made of flour, yeast, milk and eggs, fermented for a long time and baked. It has a solid taste and strong wheat flavor, and is often sprinkled with sesame or coconut on the surface. Lieba can be eaten directly, or with butter, jam or borscht, and is an important part of the daily diet of local residents.
Borscht
Borscht is a classic Russian dish, which is common in Russian-style restaurants in the scenic area. It is made of beetroot as the main raw material, with beef, potatoes, onions, carrots and other ingredients, and tomato sauce. It has a bright red color and a sweet and sour taste. It is usually eaten with sour cream, which makes the taste more rich. It is one of the representatives of Russian food culture.
Roast Lamb Leg
Roast lamb leg is a characteristic food in the scenic area. It is made of sheep legs raised on the Hulunbuir grassland, marinated with salt, cumin, chili and other seasonings, and roasted over charcoal fire. The roasted lamb leg has a crispy outer skin, tender meat and a fragrant aroma. When eating, it is cut into thin slices with a knife, and can be wrapped with lettuce and pancakes, which is both greasy and delicious, suitable for sharing with many people.
Tickets
Adopt a per-attraction ticketing system, with tickets starting from 75 yuan.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "满洲里市中俄边境旅游区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of each attraction in the scenic area are slightly different:
- Manzhouli National Gate Scenic Area: 8:00-18:00 (April 1 - October 31); 9:00-17:00 (November 1 - March 31 of the next year).
- Matryoshka Square: 9:00-21:00 (June 1 - August 31); 9:00-18:00 (April 1 - May 31, September 1 - October 31); 10:00-17:00 (November 1 - March 31 of the next year).
- Ergun Wetland Scenic Area: 8:00-18:00 (May 1 - October 15); some areas are closed at other times.
- Hulun Lake Scenic Area: 8:00-18:00 (April 1 - October 31); some areas are open from November 1 to March 31 of the next year, and the opening hours are 9:00-16:00.
Tour Route
Tourists can first arrive in Manzhouli City, go to Manzhouli National Gate Scenic Area in the morning, visit the national gate and memorial hall, learn about border history, which takes about 2 hours; then go to Matryoshka Square, enjoy matryoshka sculptures and watch Russian song and dance performances, which takes about 2 hours; have lunch in the Russian-style restaurant in Matryoshka Square at noon, taste borscht, lieba and other foods, which takes about 1 hour.
In the afternoon, depart from Manzhouli to Hulun Lake Scenic Area, visit the lake surface and experience leisure activities by the lake, which takes about 2 hours; then return to Manzhouli urban area, visit the China-Russia mutual trade area and buy Russian goods, which takes about 1.5 hours.
The next morning, go to the Russian Ethnic Village in Ergun City, experience Russian-style architecture and participate in folk activities, which takes about 3 hours; have lunch in the ethnic village, taste Russian-style home-cooked food, which takes about 1 hour; in the afternoon, go to Ergun Wetland Scenic Area and visit the wetland scenery along the wooden plank road, which takes about 2 hours. The total playing time is about 1.5-2 days, which can fully experience the border style, exotic culture and natural landscape of the scenic area.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Starting from Hailar District, Hulunbuir City, drive along Haiman First-class Highway to Manzhouli City, with a total distance of about 190 kilometers and a driving time of about 2.5 hours; starting from Manzhouli City to Ergun City, drive along S201 Provincial Highway, with a total distance of about 200 kilometers and a driving time of about 3 hours; starting from Ergun City to the Russian Ethnic Village (Enhe Township), drive along S201 Provincial Highway to X904 County Road, with a total distance of about 75 kilometers and a driving time of about 1.5 hours. The charging standard of parking lots in and around the scenic area is 5-10 yuan per day.
- Tourist special line: Hailar District Passenger Station has multiple daily departures directly to Manzhouli City, with departure times from 7:00 to 17:00, once an hour, a driving time of about 2.5 hours, and a fare of 40 yuan per person; Manzhouli City Passenger Station has buses to Ergun City, departing at 8:00, 10:00 and 14:00 every day, with a driving time of about 3 hours and a fare of 50 yuan per person.
- Chartered car: It is more convenient to charter a car to play in Manzhouli City or Hailar District. Generally, the daily cost of a 5-seat car is about 400-600 yuan, which can be flexibly arranged according to the itinerary, suitable for traveling with many people.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Manzhouli National Gate Scenic Area: The fifth-generation national gate is 43.7 meters high and 46.6 meters wide. It is the largest land port national gate in China. You can overlook Russian towns, visit the memorial hall to learn about border history, and the tour duration is about 2 hours.
- Matryoshka Square: The largest matryoshka-themed square in the world. The 30-meter-high giant matryoshka is a landmark. Russian song and dance performances are held every day, suitable for taking photos, and the tour duration is about 2 hours.
- Ergun Wetland Scenic Area: The largest wetland in Asia. Rivers, grasslands and forests are interwoven in the 3-square-kilometer core scenic area. The 2.5-kilometer wooden plank road allows you to enjoy the wetland scenery in all directions, and the tour duration is about 2 hours.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 2-3 days for the tour. You can stay one night in Manzhouli City and Ergun City respectively to deeply experience the characteristics of different regions.
- The best travel seasons are June-August (green grasslands and cool climate in summer) and December-February (unique ice and snow landscapes in winter, where you can experience ice and snow activities). The scenery in autumn (September-October) is also beautiful, but the temperature is low.
- Most of the scenic spots are outdoor. In summer, you need to take sun protection measures (strong ultraviolet rays) and carry mosquito repellent; in winter, the temperature can be as low as -30℃, so you need to wear down jackets, snow boots, hats, gloves and other warm equipment.
- You can buy Russian specialties in Manzhouli City, such as chocolate, candies, telescopes, etc. The price is affordable. Pay attention to choosing regular stores to avoid buying fakes.
Matters Needing Attention
- When visiting the National Gate Scenic Area, you must abide by border management regulations, refrain from crossing national boundary signs, refrain from taking photos of military facilities, and obey the guidance of staff.
- When entering Russian ethnic villages or yurts, respect local ethnic customs, such as taking off your shoes when entering Russian-style houses, and taking food from the host with both hands.
- Hulun Lake Scenic Area has many mosquitoes in summer, so you need to take anti-mosquito measures; the ice layer on the lake is thick in winter, but you still need to move in designated areas and avoid entering undeveloped areas alone.
- Some roads in the scenic area are rural roads. When driving or chartering a car, you need to pay attention to the road conditions, especially in winter when the road is easy to freeze. You need to slow down and install snow chains if necessary.
- Mobile phone signals in the China-Russia border area may be unstable, and some areas may receive Russian signals. Pay attention to turning off the mobile phone roaming function to avoid additional charges.