Editor’s note: Friendship between peoples is the key to healthy relations between nations. China Daily will publish a series of articles highlighting the special ties, mutual understanding, trust and friendship between Chinese cities and their sister cities. Shedding light on “city diplomacy” in light of various countries and cultural backgrounds.
Passengers are seen at Michurinsky Prospekt metro station in Moscow on December 7, 2021. Evgeny Sinitsyn/Xinhua News Agency
For Daria Romadina, a Moscow native studying abroad in Beijing, the line between her two worlds can sometimes blur. Walking through the busy streets of these two world capitals, it often feels like you’ve momentarily stepped into another city.
“The Beijing Exhibition Center and the All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow are very similar,” said Romadina, 22, who is studying for two years at the International University of Business and Economics in Beijing.
“There are many Russian restaurants and supermarkets near the Russian Embassy in Beijing, which makes you feel like you are back in Moscow.”
This summer, she returned to Moscow and was surprised by the growing presence of Chinese culture there.
“While walking through the streets of Moscow, I noticed that Chinese restaurants, which used to be found only near the Chinese embassy, are now spread throughout the city. You can find everything from.
“A friend in Moscow recommended me to visit a place called Huaming Park in the north of the city. Walking into it felt like returning to a park in Beijing. It incorporates many elements of traditional Chinese gardens.
Romadina’s observations highlight the deeper cultural exchange between the two cities, which have been sister cities since 1995. In fact, Beijing and Moscow have a tapestry of connections that go beyond mere architectural similarities.
The Forbidden City and the Kremlin are located at the heart of their respective cities, surrounded by ring roads and crisscrossed by subway networks. These complex subway systems are an eloquent symbol of how closely intertwined the two cities are with each other.
