'''Suifenhe''' is a city in Heilongjiang Province. It is located on the border with Russia and is China's gateway to Vladivostok.
Get in
Suifenhe is accessible from Harbin by daily coaches and trains as well as an approximately bi-weekly train (8 hours) that continues through to Vladivostok and is often booked out for a few weeks in advance. The bus station also seems to double for a night market. From the Russian side, trains and coaches cross the border (~20 km of no man's land) to Ussurisk, a 4 hour trip. Trains also have a change of gauge, which takes some time.
Get around
See
Climate
Suifenhe is inland and elevated. As such it has warm summers and bitterly cold winters. In December/January a daytime maximum of -15__C is not uncommon.
Talk
Chinese and Russian speakers are not hard to come by. English speakers are rare. There is a university somewhere which teaches English, however.
Do
Buy
Rubles and Kwai (Yuan) are readily accepted as the town is quite Russian. ATMs may or may not work, depending on your card - all seem to demand a six digit pin. Changing American dollars is possible but time consuming (you'll need a photocopy of your passport, which can be obtained nearby, for a fee).
Like all border towns there is an assortment of goods to buy.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Contact
Get out