A never-ending book of wonders

Radnaeva is in the process of writing a book that decodes Chinese business culture for Russians.

"It's important to search for regional specialties, whether Tianjin's fried dough twists or Yunnan province's mushroom hot pot. Food is China's universal language," she recommends to her compatriots.

Radnaeva is looking forward to visiting Xi'an later this year.

"Every Russian knows about the Terracotta Warriors," she says, adding that she will also explore local night markets and Tang Dynasty (618-907) poetry readings.

Irina Antonova, a senior executive at Russian Tour, notes that China's high development rate offers comfortable leisure and travel experiences, which have driven more Russians to explore the country.

"They are interested in seeing China's development," Antonova says.

The profound history of Beijing and Xi'an, the modernity of Shanghai and Hong Kong, beach holidays in Hainan, and pandas in Sichuan province, along with the river and mountain landscapes in Guilin, are among the most popular with Russian travelers, she observes.

To cater to this demand, Li Xiaoying's agency has developed small-group "culture-plus-scenery" tours, blending sightseeing with activities like tea ceremonies and traditional crafting.

Li owes China's rising popularity with Russian travelers to word-of-mouth recommendations and China's active promotion of tourism in Russia.

"Social media has fueled demand, and every returning traveler becomes an ambassador," Li says.

Destinations like Hunan have also staged multiple tourism events in Russia, which endeared themselves to Russian travelers, she adds.

Li expects sustained growth in high-quality, experience-driven tourism from Russia over the next five years.

"All travel operators need to do is to help them experience China like a local, not just see it," Li says.