Border city · Historic city · Scenic area · Heilongjiang
Heihe
黑河
Border city on the Amur, facing Blagoveshchensk
Heihe is a prefecture-level city on the Heilong (Amur) River in northern Heilongjiang, directly across the river from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk. Its territory includes Aihui, where the Qing signed the 1858 treaty that moved the border to the Amur, and the volcanic landscape of Wudalianchi.
Key facts
Overview
Heihe stands at the point where the Zeya River joins the Amur from the Russian side, and Blagoveshchensk lies only a few hundred metres away across the water. The two cities form the closest pair of Chinese and Russian cities on the border, and trade, tourism and Russian-language signs shape Heihe's streets.
The city's territory extends south across the Lesser Khingan to Wudalianchi, a field of volcanic cones with lava-dammed lakes and mineral springs.
Names and nicknames
Aihui (Aigun)
瑷珲
The historic fortress town south of the city, seat of the first Qing military governor of Heilongjiang.
History
The Qing built the fortress of Aihui in 1683 as the base of the first military governor of Heilongjiang during the conflict with Russia. The Treaty of Aigun, signed there in 1858, ceded the land north of the river. In 1900 violence on both banks during the Boxer crisis ended with Russian forces killing thousands of Chinese residents of Blagoveshchensk and destroying Aihui. The modern city developed as a trading post in the twentieth century and was opened for border trade in the 1980s.
1683
Aihui fortress built
The Qing established its first military governorship of Heilongjiang here.
1719–1721
Wudalianchi eruptions
Lava from the Laoheishan and Huoshaoshan volcanoes dammed the river into a chain of five lakes.
1858
Treaty of Aigun
The Qing ceded the land north of the Amur to Russia.
July 1900
Blagoveshchensk killings and the destruction of Aihui
Russian forces expelled and killed thousands of Chinese residents of Blagoveshchensk and then burned Aihui.
2022
Amur road bridge opened
The first road bridge between China and Russia across the Amur linked Heihe with Blagoveshchensk.
Landmarks
Museum
Aihui History Museum
瑷珲历史陈列馆
Museum on the site of the Aihui fortress on the history of the Sino-Russian border.
Street or quarter
Amur riverfront
黑龙江畔
Riverside promenade facing Blagoveshchensk.
Nature
Wudalianchi
五大连池
Volcanic cones, lava fields and five lakes, a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Neighbourhoods
Xinsheng Oroqen township
新生鄂伦春族乡
Oroqen settlement in the forests south of the city.
Food
Russian cooking
俄式西餐
Borscht, bread and grilled meat in the city's Russian-style restaurants.
Amur fish
黑龙江鱼
Fish from the Amur, including sturgeon relatives, stewed or smoked.
Culture
Heihe is a meeting point of Chinese and Russian life, with Russian shoppers and signs in the streets and Chinese visitors on river trips. The Oroqen of the surrounding forests keep traditions of hunting, birch-bark crafts and the June bonfire festival.
Getting around
- Heihe has a railway station with trains from Harbin and an airport with domestic flights.
- The road bridge and, in winter, ice routes connect the city with Blagoveshchensk.
Day trips
Wudalianchi
五大连池
Volcanic park with mineral springs, to the south.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Heihe Municipal People's Government — Heihe Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government — Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More cities in Heilongjiang
- Harbin哈尔滨Capital · Historic city · Cultural centreIce City on the Songhua, built by the railway
- Qiqihar齐齐哈尔Historic city · Industrial centre · Scenic areaCrane City on the Nen River
- Mudanjiang牡丹江Scenic area · Historic city · Border cityJingpo Lake, the Bohai capital and the snow country of the south-east
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