China-Russia Border | A three-day self-driving guide to Heixiazi Island, China's easternmost tip!

Preface

Travel method: Self-driving

Required documents: ID card, driver's license (for car rental), student ID card (half-price admission for some attractions) and some cash

Clothing: Sun-protective clothing, sun hat, brightly colored clothing for photos, sunglasses (for photos and to avoid direct sunlight glare)

Cosmetics: sunscreen, facial mask, Photography equipment: DJI Mavic 2, Sony 7AR3,

Lenses: 12-24, 24-240, 70-200

Tour duration: three days

DAY1: Watch the sunrise at Dongji Pavilion - Dongji Square

DAY2: Heixiazi Island - Hezhe Nationality Exhibition Hall

DAY3: Fish Museum – Shopping: Russian goods

DAY1: Dongji Pavilion – the first to welcome the sun into the motherland

"Poetry 'meets' the distant Fuyuan, which is not far away." Fuyuan City is known as the "Easternmost Point of China" and "the First County in the East". It is the first place to welcome the sun into the embrace of the motherland.

When you come to Fuyuan, you must watch the sunrise. Dongji Pavilion is the best place to watch the sunrise. In the early morning, set off for Dongji Pavilion at 2:20 Beijing time. At 3:09 in the morning, the morning light dyed the earth, and the rising sun emerged from the confluence of the two rivers, and the morning glow burned half of the river surface red.

This is an unforgettable morning, and also the earliest sunrise I have seen in many years. The sun rises in the east, and purple air comes from the east~Dongji Pavilion.

Dongji Pavilion is located at the top of Nanshan Park in Fuyuan City, at an altitude of 266.5 meters, making it the highest point in Fuyuan City. You can drive down the mountain and walk about two kilometers along the mountain road to reach the top.

The Dongji Pavilion stands tall in the easternmost reaches of China, like a dragon's head. Towering above it is the Lingxiao Treasure Pavilion, a replica of an ancient building, simple and elegant, with solemn colors and a ringing bell hanging from the eaves, ringing crisply and melodiously. From this vantage point, one can see rolling mountains, the winding river, and the vast horizon.

You can also go to the riverside to watch the sunrise, and the scenery is different. Sunrise time: The sunrise time varies with the season. Just check the sunrise time of the season.

Tips:

Address: Top of Nanshan Park, Fuyuan City, Jiamusi City

Fee: None

Dongji Square - the place where the sun rises, the easternmost point of China

Walking into Dongji Square, you can see a building with the Chinese character "Dong" as its landmark from afar. The Chinese character "Dong" is supported by the 39.5-meter-high Dongji Pole Standard sculpture, which embodies the Chinese charm. The proudly raised Hekou Observation Plaza is the bow, symbolizing that the giant ship of China is setting sail towards the East. Fuyuan, the "Easternmost Point of China", is the proud bow of this giant Chinese ship, welcoming the latest sunrise for the motherland every day.

Located at the confluence of the Fuyuan Waterway and the Ussuri River, the Dongji Square Scenic Area in Fuyuan County is a key scenic spot in Heixiazi Island, a renowned tourist town. Spanning 36,000 square meters, the area includes the Hekou Square, the Sun Pavilion, a veranda, a pole marker, a stele, a waterside pavilion, a boundary marker, a Four-Polarity Cultural Wall, a map of China, a cultural stone entrance, a cruise ship pier, and a white marble fence.

Dongji Square is a landmark landscape at the easternmost end of my country's land territory. With its back to the motherland and facing east, the square's triangular estuary sandbar resembles the sharp bow of a warship, slicing through the waves and dividing the Ussuri River into the main channel and the Fuyuan waterway. The overall landscape image is "setting sail."

Tips:

Address: The confluence of Fuyuan Waterway and Ussuri River

Cost: Free

DAY2: Heixiazi Island in Fuyuan Delta - Hezhe Nationality

Heixiazi Island

Heixiazi Island, also known as the Fuyuan Delta, is located in Heixiazi Island Town, Fuyuan City, Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province. It lies southwest of the main channel at the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Ussuri Rivers and is China's easternmost territory. The Heixiazi Island scenic area is divided into three main attractions: Heixiazi Wetland Park, Dongji Pagoda, and Heixiazi Island Wild Bear Park.

Heixiazi Island Wetland Park

The wetland park is one of the most beautiful scenic spots on Heixiazi Island, showcasing the perfect blend of pristine natural scenery and man-made structures. The island is rich in natural resources and is home to numerous rare wildlife, including red-crowned cranes, black cranes, mandarin ducks, swan geese, and leatherback turtles. The surrounding Heilongjiang River, its tributaries, and the lakes and rivers along its banks are home to a variety of fish, including salmon and sturgeons.

A must-see for wetland visitors is the Tongdao floating bridge. The wetlands and vegetation complement each other beautifully. In mid-July, lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the sky is filled with white clouds, a true gift from nature.

Dongji Pagoda

The Dongji Pagoda has an octagonal body and is in the style of the Han and Tang Dynasties. It is 81 meters high with 9 floors and a 6-degree taper. The base of the tower is a 40m x 40m square with two stacked floors.

The pagoda has a circular plaza with a Tai Chi pattern. The square has a diameter of 171 meters, representing the 171 square kilometers of territory returned to Heixiazi Island. A turtle and a qilin are placed at the two poles of the square respectively. There are 60 bluestone columns with coiled dragon reliefs in the square, and the 56 columns around it represent the 56 ethnic groups in China.

Exploring the Wild Bear Park on Heixiazi Island

The island boasts China's largest bear-themed zoo, the "Heixiazi Island Wild Bear Park." Take a guided tour bus and admire the playful and unique black bears as they climb treetops or wander the paths, immersed in their own unique personalities. Passing by the viewing platform, you can buy carrots or steamed buns to feed the bears, which is also a wonderful experience.

The Sky Mirror on the viewing platform creates a stunning scene of merging the sea and sky. Don't miss this beautiful spot after feeding the bears.

Hezhe National Exhibition Hall

Sixty years ago, the song "Ussuri Boat Song" was released, bringing the Hezhe people, a relatively small ethnic group, to the fore. They are a mysterious and intelligent people, a minority with only about 5,000 remaining. They primarily live along the banks of the Heilongjiang and Ussuri rivers, primarily engaged in fishing and hunting, earning them the nickname "Fishskin Tribe."

The Hezhe people have lived in the Heilongjiang, Ussuri and Songhua River basins for generations, making a living by fishing and hunting. Because they are located in the east of the motherland, they are known as the "nation guarding the sun."

Walking into the Hezhe National Exhibition Hall, the "Ussuri Boat Song" rang in my ears. The Ussuri River is long and long; the blue river water is surging; the Hezhe people spread thousands of nets; the boats are full of fish; ahlanghelahe ne narei ya hela ne hene na.

Accompanied by the singing, it's as if you've traveled through time. Here, you'll discover the Hezhe people's past, their stories, the wisdom of generations, and their pursuit and yearning for a better tomorrow. The two-story exhibition hall showcases the Hezhe people's customs, habits, and working lives, each scene recreating their stories and legends.

Tips:

Ticket price: 20 yuan Address: Zhuaji Hezhe Village, Wusu Town, Fuyuan City, on the banks of the Ussuri River

DAY3: Fuyuan Fish Culture Exhibition Hall - Shopping: Russia

Fuyuan Fish Culture Exhibition Hall (Fish Museum)

Walk along the Fuyuan Riverside Park to the end, that is, to the Fuyuan Port, and you will see the Fish Museum next to the Fuyuan Port.

The tunnel sightseeing area makes people feel like they are deep in the ocean, watching the fish swimming freely, strolling in the tunnel, and listening to the secrets of the ocean.

The entire architectural style of the Fish Museum is very Russian. Looking at the main entrance, you can see a large fish pattern on the ground. Walking into the museum is like walking into the ocean. Various fish are displayed in categories, restoring the living environment and scenes of Fuyuan's freshwater fish, giving people a deeper understanding of Fuyuan's fish culture.

If you want to know about the types of freshwater fish in China, and if you want to know how much China has contributed to the breeding of freshwater fish, the second floor of the Fish Museum shows us in a vivid way that fish can also have cultural displays. Most of the exhibition halls on the second floor are fish specimens, which are shocking to the eyes. The largest treasure of the museum is the huge sturgeon specimen, which makes people marvel at the magic of the Creator and the power of life.

Tips:

Ticket price: 50 yuan

Opening hours: 08:00-17:00 all year round

Address: Intersection of Foshan Road and Yanjiang Road, Fuyuan City, Jiamusi City

Shopping: Russian goods

When you come to Fuyuan, the easternmost city, Russia is on the other side of the river, so shopping is probably what everyone wants to do. After visiting the Fish Museum, we went straight to the Fuyuan Border Trade Center.