The border city of Heihe in northern China’s Heilongjiang Province endures sub-zero temperatures for more than a third of the year. While “maodong”, or avoiding the freezing cold, was once an essential winter lifestyle for locals, the snow-covered city is bustling with different scenes under China’s push for high-quality development. Russians are seen packing local morning markets, streamlined entry procedures facilitate cross-border travels and vehicles in the early development phase undergo winter testing across the city.
