Published on: 2026-08-31
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Beijing, August 31 /Xinhua/ — “There were signs in English everywhere, which helped to understand where to go. I liked the opportunity to take the metro without leaving the terminal of Daxing Airport,” said Georgy Chusovitin, who came to China for vacation with his girlfriend under the visa-free regime. This is their first day in Beijing.
He was especially impressed by the Temple of Heaven, the majestic Tiananmen Square, and the Gugong Museum, located along the central axis of Beijing.
The central axis of Beijing, formed in the 13th-16th centuries, runs through the old city from south to north. The axis includes 15 cultural heritage sites. In July 2024, it was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.
“Qianmen Street, Jingshan Park, and the Shichahai tourist area are my favorite places to walk along the Central Axis. I like walking here because you can see both traditional and modern Beijing at the same time,” shares Yulia Temelidi, a Russian student at Tsinghua University.
The traditional axis starts from the Yundingmen Gate in the south of the city and ends at Zhonglou (Bell Tower) and Gulou (Drum Tower) in the north, with a length of about 7.8 km. According to the Beijing City Master Plan for 2016-2035, the axis should extend northwards to the Yanshan Mountains and southwards to the Daxing International Airport and the Yongding River system.
“At the northern end of the axis, near the Drum Tower, an immersive light show vividly demonstrates how Beijing and the Central Axis have evolved over time, allowing one to feel what the city looked like in different historical eras,” said Y. Temelidi, adding that many Russian tourists not only take photographs but are increasingly interested in the history of these unique buildings. Through the Central Axis, they can gain a better understanding of Beijing and all of China.
The Central Axis preserves the memory of the friendship between China and Russia: in 1949, it was Soviet operators who filmed the ceremony of the founding of the PRC on Tiananmen Square, a landmark of the Central Axis. In 2019, the Central Archive of China, based on color film materials provided by Russian archival institutions, edited a video of the founding ceremony of the PRC, overcoming the limitations of previously available only black-and-white footage. These unique color frames are still shown at the Museum of the History of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is located to the east of the northern extension of Beijing’s Central Axis.
The central axis of Beijing not only stands as a testament to the friendship between China and Russia, but by developing in a north-south direction, it better connects various districts of the city, becoming an important link in the communication between the peoples of the two countries.
According to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, in the first half of 2026, Beijing was visited by 492,987 Russian tourists, which is 131.8% more than in the same period last year; in June of this year, the Chinese capital was visited by 84,509 Russian tourists, an increase of 126% year-on-year, placing Russia first among the countries of origin for inbound tourism.
For many Russians, their introduction to the city begins at the Daxing International Airport, located at the southern extension of the axis. Opposite the exit from the international arrivals area on the first floor of the Daxing airport terminal is the “Beijing Service” desk, which offers foreign tourists a variety of information services.
The senior manager of this comprehensive service point, Shao Meihua, noted that during the summer holidays, in addition to Chinese and English, Russian, Korean, and other languages were added to the Wi-Fi service interface at the airport. Furthermore, the intelligent translators installed last year at the service points provide visual translation in real time. Using these devices, employees have given foreign tourists answers to questions concerning luggage, communication, payments, transport, culture, and tourism. And the free night buses from the airport are especially convenient for Russians arriving late at night due to the time difference.
“As an important landmark on the southern extension of the Central Axis and an international aviation hub, Daxing Airport not only showcases traditional Chinese culture but also creates a platform for intercultural dialogue, helping foreign tourists to get acquainted with the Central Axis and better understand China,” said Chen Yuan, head of terminal management at Daxing Airport.
It is reported that in recent years, Daxing Airport has been actively collaborating with the National Museum of China, the Capital Museum, and other museums to adapt their exhibitions to the unique characteristics of the airport space. Thanks to this, passengers can experience a cultural atmosphere and engage with cultural values throughout their journey.
According to Chen Yuan, to create a comfortable atmosphere in the international flight waiting hall, announcements in Russian and Russian music are even played.
“In recent years, increasingly tangible results have been achieved through the visa-free policy between China and Russia, and Russian airlines have already launched numerous direct flights to Beijing Daxing Airport,” said Su Yimin, head of the aviation business department at Daxing Airport, emphasizing that nationwide, Daxing Airport leads in the number of direct flights to Russia and passenger volume on these routes. Since the resumption of international flights in 2023, six Russian and three Chinese airlines have opened 9 direct routes covering Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, and other cities.
According to the checkpoint data of Daxing Airport, from the beginning of the year until August 17, over 20,000 international and regional flights were operated at the airport, and passenger traffic across the border reached approximately 3.77 million person-times, of which foreign citizens accounted for more than 1.32 million, an increase of 40 percent compared to the same period last year.
Currently, Daxing Airport connects more than 180 destinations in China and abroad. This year, the frequency of flights on international routes has been increased, particularly to Moscow and Yekaterinburg. In the first half of this year, the number of foreigners entering China without a visa increased by more than 250,000.
“In the second half of this year, Daxing Airport will open several more new direct flights to Russia. For example, to Yakutsk – a city not far from the Arctic Circle, where tourists go to admire the northern lights,” added Su Yimin.
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