On the opposite side of Suifenhe lies Vladivostok.

Definition 1: “Suifen” derives from the Manchu word for “awl,” referring to a type of sharp, awl-shaped snail (Russian: Razdolnaya) that thrives in this river.

Definition 2: “Vladivostok” originates from the Manchu language and means “a small fishing village by the sea”; the word “wai” refers to a bend in the mountains and rivers.
Definition 3: “Vladivostok” originates from Russian and means “ruling the East” (Russian: Владивосток).

The source of the Suifen River lies in the motherland, while its estuary flows into a foreign land.

Suifenhe: From Civilization to Barbarism
The Suifen River originates at the border between Hunchun County and Wangqing County in Yanbian Prefecture. It flows from the eastern part of Wangqing County, passing through Mudanjiang City Suifenhe City 、 Dongning City flows into Russian territory within its jurisdiction, and Vladivostok It flows into the Sea of Japan. The Suifen River has a total length of 443 km, of which 258 km lie within Chinese territory.

Suifenhe City: From the Wilds to Civilization

Human Settlements: Civilization Emerges Alongside Rivers

Suifenhe City boasts a long history, with evidence of early human activity dating back some 4,000 to 5,000 years; it has successively been under the administrative jurisdiction of the Tang, Jin, Ming, and Qing dynasties, among others.

In the mid-to-early Qing dynasty, the Suifen River region was under the jurisdiction of the Ningguta Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

Opening of the Port: Commerce Flows Along the Roads

1. In August 1897, the Chinese Eastern Railway was constructed, establishing the Suifenhe Railway Subsidiary Territory. Following the opening of the Chinese Eastern Railway, this area came to be known as “Fifth Station” (as it was the fifth station from Vladivostok to Suifenhe).

2. In January 1903, with the opening of the Chinese Eastern Railway, the “Office for Negotiations on the Suifenhe Railway” was established by the government, marking the official emergence of the place name “Suifenhe”; the Suifenhe area (excluding the railway’s subsidiary lands) was under the jurisdiction of Xingrang Society in Suifen Hall.

City Building: Born of Water, Built by Roads, Strengthened by People

3. In April 1927, the National Government established the SuiFenHe City of the Eastern Provinces Special Administrative District;

4. In July 1933, the Suifenhe Public Office was established and placed under the jurisdiction of the Puppet North Manchuria Special District Public Office.

5. In August 1975, Suifenhe City was reestablished as a city under the jurisdiction of the Mudanjiang Prefecture, and its name has been retained to this day.

6. Suifenhe City has a permanent population of 115,000 (with 65,000 registered residents), while Vladivostok has a population of approximately 650,000, making it the largest city in Russia’s Far East; the two cities are about 210 kilometers apart.

History, Population, and Economy of Suifenhe

Every chapter of border history is a chapter of humiliation; yet every chapter of border history is also a chapter of development.

Historical Background and Cultural Characteristics

Suifenhe City boasts a wealth of historic buildings and cultural sites, including the former dormitories for Russian railway employees, the railway station waiting hall, the site of the Orthodox Church, the former Soviet school, and the former Japanese consulate—structures that showcase Gothic, Baroque, and Eclectic architectural styles.

Special Economic Zone

The Suifenhe Area of the Heilongjiang Free Trade Zone was officially launched in September 2019, covering an area of approximately 20 square kilometers. ² ；

These primarily include the Suifenhe Border Economic Cooperation Zone, the Suifenhe Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and the China–Russia Suifenhe–Pogranichny Mutual Trade Zone.
Suifenhe Highway Port Operation Area and Suifenhe Railway Port Operation Area;
Seven functional zones: the Suifenhe Financial Services Zone and the Suifenhe Cross-Border E-Commerce Cooperation Zone;
 

Population Change
In 1904, at the dawn of its opening as a port, the town of Suifenhe had a permanent population of just over 2,000.

In 1915, as conditions continued to improve, the permanent population of Suifenhe rapidly grew to 7,306.
In 1931, the “September 18 Incident” broke out, and Japan occupied Suifenhe, causing the town’s population to plummet from approximately 100,000 to 40,000.
In 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Suifenhe’s population surged to approximately 200,000 as trade once again flourished, leading to a sharp increase in the resident population.
In 1990, the fourth national census recorded a registered population of 67,774 in Suifenhe City.

In 2000, the registered population of Suifenhe City in the Fifth National Census was 66,430.

In 2010, Suifenhe City recorded a registered population of 66,928 and a resident population of 132,315 according to the Sixth National Population Census.

In 2020, Suifenhe City recorded a registered population of 69,126 and a resident population of 114,564 according to the Seventh National Population Census.

Vigorous foreign trade economy

In 1920, at the very beginning of its opening as a port, the total trade volume of Suifenhe Town amounted to 1,032,871 customs taels.
In 1993, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Suifenhe City’s total foreign trade volume reached RMB 1.5 billion.
In 2003, during the early years of China’s accession to the WTO, Suifenhe City’s total foreign trade volume reached US$1.88 billion;
In 2013, marking the 35th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, Suifenhe City recorded total foreign trade of US$8.52 billion.

In 2023, marking the 45th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, Suifenhe City recorded foreign trade totaling RMB 23 billion, a year-on-year increase of 28.2%.
In 2023, Suifenhe’s trade with Russia increased by 29% year on year, accounting for 39% of the province’s non-oil trade.
In 2023, the total volume of import and export cargo in Suifenhe reached 9.495 million tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%.
In 2023, the number of inbound and outbound travelers in Suifenhe reached 563,000, a year-on-year increase of 792.1%.

From 1949 to 1955, the Soviet Union operated a special passenger train from Vladivostok, via the Suifenhe River, directly to Lüshunkou, exclusively for the use of the Soviet garrison stationed there.

In the early 1950s to 1960s, China and the Soviet Union operated four daily through-train freight services, with an average daily transshipment volume of 100 wagons.

In the early 1950s to the early 1960s, the Suifenhe Port undertook freight transport duties for repaying debts to the Soviet Union.

Final words:
In the summer of 2021, Arrowstone had just emerged from the shadow of the pandemic, and traditional trade with Europe and Southeast Asia had not yet fully recovered.
Inquiries from Suifenhe and Manzhouli arrived unexpectedly. From the initial stages of exploration, sample production, and trial-and-error, mutual trust was built step by step.
These small county-level cities have unexpectedly stepped onto the stage of international trade, even becoming the main protagonists for a time;
Over the past three-plus years, this small city of 100,000 residents has surprisingly evolved from a single customer into a small cluster of clients, with steady and substantial trade volumes for specific products—serving both Chinese traders and Russian buyers.

In the preface to his work Economic Harmonies, Frédéric Bastiat (1801–1850) observed: “Where goods cannot cross the border, soldiers will; where trade cannot open the gates of a nation, guns and cannons will.”
For most people, the choice between free trade and reckless war is self-evident.

Attached figure: The arrow stone is one of the important commodities exported to Russia.