ST. PETERSBURG — Six days into China's National Day holiday, the Golden Week travel rush shows no sign of slowing. Roads, railways and airports across the country remain crowded as hundreds of millions of citizens travel for leisure and family reunions. The Ministry of Transport projected 2.13 billion inter-regional trips during the seven-day break, roughly 300 million daily.

For a growing number of Chinese travelers, that domestic surge extends beyond national borders. Russia has become a favored overseas destination during the holiday, with St. Petersburg drawing particular attention. According to Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Chinese citizens accounted for 56.3 percent of all inbound tourism to Russia in the first half of 2026 — 380,600 trips, a 19.8 percent increase over the same period last year.

The mutual visa-free arrangement between the two countries, extended through the end of 2027, has simplified travel and fueled interest in St. Petersburg. The city has spent years adapting its hospitality sector accordingly. The China Friendly programme, developed by the association "World Without Borders", certifies hotels, restaurants, and shops that train staff, offer Chinese-language materials, and accept Chinese payment systems. Restaurants across the city have introduced Chinese-language menus and UnionPay acceptance; hotels provide translated materials and familiar amenities .

Before departure, many Chinese visitors turn to Xiaohongshu, where users trade practical tips: which landmarks to prioritize, how to navigate the metro, where to find familiar food. The platform has become a de facto planning tool, with itineraries assembled long before arrival.

Chinese users share travel tips and plans for visiting St. Petersburg on Xiaohongshu App. (Photo/Xiaohongshu screenshot)

Traditional landmarks remain the anchor of most itineraries. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Cruiser Aurora, Kronstadt, The Peterhof State Museum and Nevsky Prospect continue to top the list of Chinese visitors' preferred destinations. But a newer pattern has emerged alongside these classics. St. Petersburg's creative spaces — New Holland Island and Sevkabel Port among them — along with the city's pastry shops have become unexpected favorites .

At the Cruiser Aurora, moored along the Petrogradskaya Embankment, young Chinese visitors have created a "book relay" involving a ninth-grade history textbook. The volume's cover depicts the legendary ship. Travelers do not carry the book from home; a single copy is hidden nearby, its location shared through Xiaohongshu. They photograph themselves holding it, then pass it to the next visitor.

Chinese tourists take part in a "book relay" at the Cruiser Aurora in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Photo/Xiaohongshu)

Chinese visitors have also been drawn to the city's performing arts. On October 3, the Mariinsky Theatre was filled with audiences from China for La Bayadère, a ballet by Ludwig Minkus with choreography by Marius Petipa. The work tells of a temple dancer and a noble warrior in ancient India. Many in the hall were visibly moved by the theatre's interior — its tiered balconies, gilded moulding, and the famous chandelier that has hung above the auditorium for more than a century. Others posed for photographs beneath it during the interval, capturing the setting before the curtain rose on the second act.

Chinese tourists take photos at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Oct. 3. (Photo/Natalia Vakhrusheva)

The city's attentiveness to Chinese guests extends beyond the stage. One seasonal detail reflects this familiarity: mooncakes, the round pastries traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, remain on sale at the popular Russian café chain "Bushe" well into the National Day holiday.

The popular Russian café chain "Bushe" serves mooncakes. (Photo/Natalia Vakhrusheva)

As this year marks the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, bilateral ties have reached an unprecedentedly high level, with both countries advancing major joint projects across a wide range of areas and coordinating their efforts in international affairs to build a more just and multipolar world order.

That relationship now extends well beyond trade figures and leader-level meetings. Cultural exchange, science, education and technology have become part of it — and the presence of Chinese visitors in St. Petersburg during the National Day holiday is one visible measure.

Golden Week ends in a matter of days. What remains are the itineraries, the photographs and the steady flow of Chinese visitors the city has come to expect. Those numbers and images capture something more than a holiday spent abroad. They show that the ties between China and Russia now rest on more than official statements. They are shaped by ordinary decisions — where people choose to travel, and how a city prepares to welcome them.