Boundless borderlands

Russian women in the departure hall of Suifenhe's road port. [PHOTO BY XU LIN/CHINA DAILY]

With four antiquated steam locomotives on display, the collection also includes old railroad cars, models of classic steam locomotives and historical photos about the railway's construction.

As symbols of the industrial revolution in the 19th century, these giant steam locomotives are historical reminders of the development of the railways.

Hengdaohezi town boasts over 200 old Russian-style buildings, from a wooden Orthodox church to local residences.

Suifenhe's history as a busy trading hub dates back to 1903.

It is home to both a landlocked railway port and a road port. At the road port, tourists can take an elevator to the top of the 53-meter-high Chinese border gate and get a bird's-eye view of the area.

Suifenhe's residents are familiar with the story of Galiya, a 17-yearold Chinese-Russian girl who sacrificed herself during the liberation of the city at the end of the World War II.

Adept in Chinese, Russian and Japanese, Galiya visited the Japanese garrison in the city in 1945 and tried to persuade the troops to surrender－but unfortunately never returned.