A railway container freight center in Manzhouli, a border port neighboring Russia in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)

The annual number of inbound and outbound passengers via Manzhouli, the largest land port on the China-Russia border, exceeded 1.9 million last year.

HOHHOT, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Manzhouli, the largest land port on the China-Russia border, saw an increasing number of inbound and outbound passengers in 2019.

According to the Manzhouli exit and entry inspection station, the annual number of inbound and outbound passengers via the border port exceeded 1.9 million last year, with a year-on-year increase of 2.88 percent.

The inbound and outbound Russian passengers in the Sino-Russian border trade zone in Manzhouli tripled to 220,000 in 2019 compared to last year, reporting a record high.

A customs staff worker checks the customs declaration documents at the Manzhouli Customs in Manzhouli, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Jan. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Zou Yu)

"I come to the trade zone twice a week. Russian goods are very popular with Chinese consumers," said Ira, a Russian businessman.

China established the Manzhouli Sino-Russian border trade zone as a cross-border national development zone in 1992. The main functions of the zone include border trade, tourism, shopping and entertainment. ■