World’s First Cross-Border Ropeway Nears Completion, To Connect Russia And China In 8 Minutes
- Authored by: Akanksha Arora
- Updated Aug 10, 2026, 13:58 IST
China and Russia are set to unveil the world’s first cross-border cable car, cutting travel between Heihe and Blagoveshchensk to just six to eight minutes.
World’s First Cross-Border Ropeway.
China and Russia are very close to finishing the world’s first cross-border cable car, a project that will let people cross between the two countries in under ten minutes. On Sunday, August 2, Chinese officials announced that the main structure of the ropeway is now complete. The cable car connects Heihe, a city in China’s Heilongjiang province, with Blagoveshchensk in Russia. For the unversed, the two cities sit right across from each other on the Heilongjiang River, which is also known as the Amur River.
Everything You Need To Know About This Project
Work on the project started in July 2019. It has taken years to build because the ropeway had to be constructed over an international river, with matching customs and immigration facilities built on both sides. According to Zhang Qijun, who is the deputy director of the management committee of the China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone’s Heihe section, the whole project is expected to be finished before the end of this year.
Once it opens, the ropeway will cut travel time between the two cities to just 6-8 minutes. Cao Xinhong, chairman of Heihe-based Jinlonggang Construction and Development Co., the company handling the Chinese side of the build, gave this estimate. That is a massive improvement, since the same trip currently takes much longer – both by ferry or road.
The cable car stretches 970 metres across the river and runs with two large carriages, with each one being able to hold 110 passengers. The system is designed to run at a top speed of 12 metres per second, and it is built to carry up to 2.6 million passengers a year in one direction. Also, a joint customs and immigration hall has been built in Heihe, where travellers will be checked before crossing over. Photos released by Chinese state media shows the exterior of this new building, along with a view of the towers and cables of the ropeway itself.
Third Link Between The Two Cities
This is not the first transport link between the two border cities. A highway bridge connecting Heihe and Blagoveshchensk opened in 2022, becoming the first road bridge between Russia and China. There is also a ferry service that already runs across the river. Once the cable car starts running, Heihe will have three separate ways to reach Russia: the bridge, the ferry, and now the ropeway.
As per officials, this kind of connectivity is already paying off. In the first half of this year, more than 568,000 people crossed through Heihe Port, a jump of over 60% compared to the same period last year. Part of that rise has been linked to a mutual visa-free travel policy that China and Russia have introduced. Zhang said that once the ropeway is running, it will help boost tourism, trade and logistics in the border region. Heihe and Blagoveshchensk have long depended on each other for trade, and local businesses on both sides are expected to benefit from faster and easier movement of people.
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Senior Copy Editor at Times Network, Akanksha Arora covers Lifestyle, Culture and everything that falls under its big umbrella. When not writing, she … View More
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