Suifenhe's location on the border of Vladivostok has given this Chinese city a distinctly Russian feel.

China and Russia have had close ties throughout much of the past century, particularly during World War II when Soviet troops fought against the Japanese in Northeast China.

Suifenhe, a city in Heilong-jiang province, was the scene of heavy fighting during that period, but its connections to Russia go back well before the war and continue today.