Border regions turn into tourism hot spots

HOHHOT — A domed ceiling painted with cherubs decorates the airport. Castlelike facades line the boulevards, and oversized matryoshka doll-shaped hotels loom overhead. This place may look like a Russian fairy tale town, but it's actually a city in China.

Located in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region and bordering both Russia and Mongolia, Manzhouli has long served as China's largest land port and a key hub for cross-border trade.

Once dependent on commerce, it is now embracing a new growth engine — tourism — as its unique cultural charm and streamlined Customs procedures draw an increasing number of visitors.