黑河市

Why this place

Heihe faces Blagoveshchensk across the Amur River, and the two cities look at each other across a kilometre of water. There is a cross-border cable car and ferry, a Russian-influenced market, and the river itself is enormous and quiet.

What to see

• The Amur River promenade, looking across to Blagoveshchensk
• The cross-border cable car and the border market
• Wudalianchi, a UNESCO volcanic site with crater lakes and mineral springs, south of the city

What to eat

• Amur river fish, including huge sturgeon and kaluga
• Russian-influenced bread, sausage and beer in the border market

Best time

June–September; the river is frozen from November to April