Fuyuan

"China's Far East" and the first city in China to see the sunrise, with Heixiazi Island shared by China and Russia, the Dongji Pagoda and Amur River fish feasts.

Fuyuan sits at the northeastern tip of Heilongjiang Province where the Amur (Heilong) and Ussuri rivers meet. Administered by Jiamusi, it is the easternmost city on the Chinese mainland, known as "China's Far East", and around the summer solstice the sun rises shortly after 2 a.m. The town stretches along the south bank of the Amur, with Riverside Park, Fuyuan Port and a fish exhibition hall. About 30 km east is Heixiazi Island (Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island); after the 2008 China–Russia border demarcation its western half went to China, and the Chinese side now has a wetland park, a wild bear park, the Beidahuang Eco-Park and the Dongji Pagoda. Across from the island, Wusu Town is home to the "First Sentry Post of the East" and a Hezhen fishing village. Winters here are long and harsh; the best season is June–August, when it is cool with long daylight hours. September brings fine autumn colours, and in winter you can see the frozen border river, though fewer attractions operate. Getting there: Fuyuan Dongji Airport has flights to Harbin, and a railway runs from Jiamusi to Fuyuan; to reach Heixiazi Island from town, hire a car or take a tourist shuttle. Allow 2 days: one for the sunrise and Heixiazi Island, one for the town and Wusu. This is a border area, so carry your ID, do not cross the border and do not photograph military installations; mosquitoes are plentiful in summer. Must-try dishes include the river-fish feast of the "three hua and five luo" (the Amur's prized fish species), kaluga sturgeon and the Hezhen people's raw fish salad.

Top sights

• Heixiazi Island (Bolshoy Ussuriysky) – A border island at the confluence of the Heilongjiang (Amur) and Ussuri rivers, with China and Russia each holding half. It offers wetlands…
• Dongji Square – A landmark square marked “Huaxia Dongji” (China’s Easternmost Point), with a sculpture bearing the name. It is one of China’s earliest spot…
• Dongji Pagoda – A Buddhist pagoda marking China's easternmost point on Heixiazi Island, close to the China–Russia border. From the top you can look out ove…
• Easternmost Sentry Post – A frontier post in Wusu Town known as the 'First Sentry in the East', one of the places where the national flag is raised earliest each day.
• Heixiazi Island Wetland Park – A natural island wetland with wooden boardwalks running between marshes and meadows, good for birdwatching and enjoying the river wetland s…
• Heixiazi Wild Bear Park – A bear-themed zoo where you can see the 'Heixiazi', as the black bears are known, up close from a sightseeing vehicle. It is popular with f…
• Beidahuang Modern Eco Garden – A modern agricultural sightseeing garden on Heixiazi Island that showcases farming technology and cold-region crops from the Beidahuang rec…
• Zhuaji Hezhe Village – A Hezhe fishing village on the banks of the Ussuri River, the easternmost mainland village in China. Visitors can see fish-skin painting an…
• Amur–Ussuri Border River Cruise – A boat cruise along the border river where the Heilong and Ussuri rivers meet, with views of the confluence and the Russian shore opposite.
• Mangjita Ancient City Site – The ruins of a Liao–Jin period ancient city on the banks of the Heilong River, next to the Mangjita Port. You can see the river and the Rus…
• China Fuyuan Fish Museum – A themed museum on the fish of the Heilong and Ussuri rivers, where you can learn about prized river species such as the “Three Flowers and…
• Riverside Park & Fuyuan Port – A riverside park along the Heilong River in Fuyuan's urban area, with fish stalls, a passenger ferry terminal and views of the port facing…

Itineraries

• Eastern Heilongjiang Border: Khanka Lake to the Easternmost Point – A grand self-driving loop starting from Suifenhe, heading north along the China-Russia border to Fuyuan, and returning…