Residents of China are travelling to Russia's Far East and Siberia for intimate encounters with sex workers, according to a report by the Russian Telegram news channel Mash.
The outlet reported that a new travel trend has emerged among Chinese visitors seeking nights with Slavic women in eastern Russian regions. An escort industry insider said overseas clients most frequently request petite women with high-pitched voices and youthful appearances.
The source added that sex workers charge higher rates for foreign clients because the men are often harsh and rude toward them.
Visitors from China usually travel to Russia independently and arrange their own hotel bookings rather than joining organized tour groups. The border city of Blagoveshchensk has become particularly popular among incoming travellers.
Blagoveshchensk is the administrative centre of Russia's Amur Oblast, situated on the bank of the Amur River directly opposite the Chinese city of Heihe. Its close geographical proximity makes it one of the primary cross-border transport and trade hubs between China and the Russian Far East.
Tourism Growth and Online Groups
The trend comes alongside a broader surge in overall visitor numbers from China. Figures show that citizens of China accounted for 56.3 per cent of all foreign tourist traffic to the Russian Federation this year.
The Far East and Siberia are vast geographic regions covering the eastern territory of Russia, sharing thousands of miles of land and river border with northern China.
The report follows earlier disclosures that Chinese authorities were investigating online communities focused on Russian women. Local police in China launched an inquiry into a private group on the WeChat messaging platform, where 450 men exchanged advice on how to manipulate Russian women and induce them to have sex.
WeChat, developed by the Chinese technology firm Tencent, is China's dominant multi-purpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment application. Chinese law enforcement agencies regularly monitor private groups on digital platforms to police online conduct and illegal activities.
