Published on: 2026-05-21
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Taiyuan, May 21 /Xinhua/ — When Matvey Koryakovsky entered the Yunle Palace for the first time, the largest Daoist shrine still existing to this day in China, he was so struck by the fresco “Chaoyuan tu” /“Worship of the Immortals”/, created about 700 years ago, that he was almost speechless.
“The characters are drawn very meticulously, the work conveys a genuine Chinese style,” – sincerely noted a Russian student who came to China as part of a cultural and educational trip.
In 2026, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of partnership relations and strategic interaction between China and Russia will be celebrated, and the Cross Years of Education between China and Russia will also begin. Under the strategic leadership of the heads of state, bilateral cooperation is steadily deepening, and the peoples of the two countries are becoming closer to each other. In recent years, Chinese-Russian programs for cultural and educational trips have been gaining increasing popularity and are becoming an important channel allowing Russian youth to gain a deeper understanding of China.
In mid-May of this year, M. Koryakovsky, together with more than 50 students from Russia, went on a trip through the region along the middle reaches of the Huang He River, which is considered the cradle of the diverse and rich Chinese civilization. The group visited the Terracotta Army in the mausoleum of the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the city of Xi’an (Shaanxi Province, Northwest China), and in Zhuyucheng county of Shaanxi Province, after examining the frescoes of the Yunle Palace, they tried their hand at drawing and copying the manner of execution similar to the wall painting.In addition, they also went up to the Dunchzhai pier in Yuanzhou County to admire the grand view of the Xyaolandi water reservoir on the Huang River.
Fan Zhenbin, director of the Institute of English Language at Xi’an International Studies University and the main organizer of this trip, said that in addition to excursions for Russian students, specially developed courses are prepared: traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), advanced fields of science and technology, commercial culture, and others. All this allows guests to form a holistic, multifaceted, and reliable understanding of China.
“The visa-free entry policy has significantly simplified our stay in China during the cultural and educational trip. The time spent in this wonderful country left exceptionally pleasant impressions,” shared his enthusiasm Vyacheslav Brazhkin from Cherepovets State University of Russia.
In recent years, more and more young Russians have sought to go to China for study and participation in cultural-educational trips. This is facilitated by the strengthening of friendship between the peoples of the two countries and the expansion of a range of favorable measures for visiting the Celestial Empire within the framework of inbound tourism. According to official statistical data from China and Russia, in the 2024-2025 academic year, the number of Russian students studying in China on a long-term basis exceeded 21,000 people, reaching a historical maximum. As for short-term exchanges, the interest of Russian youth in studying in China has noticeably increased.In such popular regions as Heilongjiang Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the number of applications for study or participation in cultural and educational trips has doubled compared to previous years.
Many higher education institutions in Beijing, Xi’an, Harbin, Urumqi and other Chinese cities regularly accept groups of Russians arriving for short-term training and internships, as well as for participation in cultural, artistic and scientific-technical exchanges. Spheres of interaction cover a wide range of directions: ICT, business administration, engineering technologies, culture and arts, and many others.
Elvira Mironova, a professor at Cherepovets State University, noted that compared to ordinary tourist trips, cultural and educational programs for Russian students are aimed at deep immersion in the rich culture, history, and philosophy of China. Russian students no longer limit themselves to just viewing natural landmarks and historical monuments of China. Through systematic academic classes, visits to enterprises, and acquaintance with local culture, they comprehensively learn about traditional culture, modern technologies, and the industrial development of China.
These trends clearly demonstrate a profound transformation of humanitarian exchanges between China and Russia – from simple tourist trips around China to in-depth cultural and educational journeys within the country. It is expected that thanks to the holding of the Cross Years of Education between China and Russia, ongoing optimization of visa policies, and diverse platforms for exchange, interaction among the younger generations of the two countries will be activated, and mutual understanding between them will deepen even further. -0-
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