Heihe port in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is now seeing long lines of travelers eager to experience Russia's newly announced visa-free policy, which allows Chinese citizens to enter Russia for up to 30 days. China, for its part, announced in September a one-year trial of a 30-day visa-free policy for Russian nationals.

Heihe sits just about 700 meters from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk across the Heilongjiang River, and passengers can board a hovercraft for a brief two-minute crossing over the frozen waterway. Businesses in Blagoveshchensk reported an immediate boost in foot traffic and business opportunities.