"We always come to Heihe in the summer for entertainment or a rest. Sometimes we buy commodities. Lots ……"
This is a Russian tourist who has just entered China for shopping. I interviewed her when I was in Heihe, the northeast border city that overlooks the Russian city of Blagoveshensk across the Heilongjiang River.
My journey started as a routine. After changing flights in Harbin, I arrived at the city.
Walking out of the airport I was assaulted by the cold. It was freezing! Due to its high latitude, Heihe is colder than most parts of China. But still I couldn't wait to explore the town.
Heihe's urban area is small; its longest street stretches only a little over 3 kilometers from north to south.
The streets are lined with round domed buildings. Taking a stroll, you can encounter enthusiastic locals and Russians. The simplified border control procedures have increased exchanges between the two sides.
A Russian woman named Cbemlana told me that she came here for recreation, shopping and sightseeing; lots of Russians like to come to China.
"We always come to Heihe in the summer for entertainment or a rest. Sometimes we buy things. Lots of Russians like to wear Chinese garments and use Chinese products. The products from China are of good quality."
I know that in order to boost the border economy, from the earlier 1990s, Heihe began implementing new measures, like simplifying the border crossing procedures and issuing a one-day pass so Chinese visitors to the city could make a quick trip to Russia.
I decided to take a personal adventure into the Heihe free trade zone. There is one tax-free day a month in the trade zone. Russian visitors pay no taxes when buying commodities on that day.
I asked Dong Haiyan, a local stallholder, about the business situation. She answered in the local dialect that business is very good during peak seasons, but the winter season is slow.
"We have a lot of Russian visitors everyday, they come to buy things. They like Chinese products.They trust the quality of our goods and know that the customs bureau has inspected them. The busiest time is from May to October. Right now it is the slow season."
I met another Russian visitor who did not want to give her name. She was making a second visit to the free trade zone. She wanted to buy a marten overcoat and some seasonal products as well as gifts for her children.
"There are some specialty stores here where the quality is very good. This is my second time here; a month ago I came here for the first time. I like the city very much. The people here are very hospitable."
The price for electronic devices is low here. I bought a battery for my camera with a 90 percent discount.
My first day in Heihe gave me an impression that it was a typical small town in northeast China with a deep atmosphere that has been influenced by exotic cultures, because of its nearness to Russia.
After two days in Heihe, I took a bus to Xunke County, over 100 kilometers southeast of Heihe. I hoped to further explore the local culture, costumes and languages.
The first place I went to was Xinxiang Village, the home of Oroqen ethnic group. They mainly hunt and fish the abundant wild animal resources in the mountains. But starting in the 1990s, with support of the government, they have begun to farm and breed livestock.
Outside the village, I saw a young Oroqen girl. I hoped she could speak to me in the local language. But to my disappointment, she couldn't.
Helpfully, the young girl led me to the home of a 60-year-old grey haired woman named Lun Boyan.
I was totally enchanted by the language.
Lun Boyan told me about her living conditions, her family, her people and the Oroqen language. She showed me around the house that had been provided by the government after her family came down from the hills. Her son is a migrant worker in Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
Lun Boyan says that the Oroqen language has no written forms so it is on the verge of extinction. Some young people even cannot speak simple words. Only the elderly people are still able to speak and sing songs in the language. She feels a great sadness for the situation.
"It's a pity, we do not have a written version of our language, and we have forgotten much of our language. Like me, I can remember the rhythm of our folk songs, but can't remember some of the words."
I asked her to sing some songs in Oroqen. She agreed.
"Oroqen songs"
While listening to the beautiful songs, I could picture a scene with many Oroqen people speaking in their language and singing their songs around a big fire. With this beautiful picture in mind, I bid a fond farewell to the village.
The next day, I went to another village, the Border Village, where people of Russian ethnic minority group live. They were actually descendants of Russian immigrants to China during the 18th century. Now, they are the second, third or even fourth generations of these immigrants.
From the outside, the village looked no different from other villages in northeast China. But, a moment later, when I met a local resident, things were different.
The man spoke Chinese fluently, though in local dialect, but his red face and blue eyes were the typical appearance of a European.
The man explained to me that although their faces are similar to their ancestors, most of them now speak standard Chinese.
"Only the older people or some well-educated young people can speak a little bit Russian."
A woman with a hooked nose typical of her ancestors told me that she was a second generation of mixed-blood. Her Russian mother came to China at the age of 14 and married her Chinese father.
Though her mother taught her some Russian when she was young, now she can't speak a single word.
The people of Russian ethnic group live a life similar to their Han counterparts, breeding animals, planting crops in the villages and finding jobs in cities. They have had little contact with their relatives in Russia.
"Because we live in different regions, we have fewer contacts with our relatives on the Russian side. After years of separation few people still have a connection to their hometown.."
An annual Russian festival is held in the nearby village. Lots of local people would wear their traditional clothes and participate.
They may look different from the Han people, but they live the same life. With that impression on my mind and lots of colorful pictures in my camera, I wrapped up my trip to the northeastern border region of China. The local people may look different, speak different languages, but in essence, they share the same dream with people from other parts of the country: working hard to live a better life.
Author: Zhong Qiu Date: Feb 11, 2007
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