The opening ceremony of the "Road to Friendship" China-Russia motorcycle ride was held at the Russian Embassy in Beijing on April 27, to celebrate 25 riders from China and Russia before they set off on a long trip from Beijing to Saint Petersburg.

The event is organized by the Russia International Moto club named "Risk" and supported by the Russian Embassy in China.

The tour will cover 11 cities across China and Russia to commemorate the friendship between the two countries. 

Twenty-five riders from China and Russia will travel together for over 8,000 kilometers from Beijing to Saint Petersburg with the closing ceremony scheduled for June 4 in Moscow.

"We rode to many cities in China in the past, and the 'Road to Friendship' tour will give us a chance to ride to Russia. There are some challenges, such as our different languages, cultural backgrounds, traffic, and even more problems... but that's what we expect... because we want to have some different experiences than in our daily lives," said Chai Zheng, captain of Gushi Club.

"I think having different experiences is one of the biggest reasons we love to ride," he added. 

Meanwhile, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia relations and the second Russia-China Year of Regional Cooperation, while the motorcycle event aims to boost tourism and strengthen cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"I think this event has some special value. The relationship between the two countries is not only about signing documents or trade cooperation, but also about exchanges between our peoples, such as in culture and sports. I think both Chinese and Russian riders had a fun time and communicated well here, and they will have more great times during the tour," said Andrey Denisov, the Russian ambassador to China.