Photo shows a view of Dadingzi Mountain in Raohe county, Shuangyashan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo/Xu Yi)
Nestled along the western bank of the Wusuli River, Raohe county in Shuangyashan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, is the birthplace of the beloved folk song "Boat Song on the Wusuli" of the Hezhe ethnic group, who traditionally lived by fishing and hunting.
Across the waters lie areas mainly inhabited by Russia’s Nanai people, who share remarkable cultural parallels with China’s Hezhe people. Both ethnic groups have gained international recognition for their distinctive fish-skin craft.
The fish-skin garments they produce feature strikingly similar patterns—fish motifs, wave designs, and cloud patterns—which serve as shared symbolic markers of their common heritage. Today, the two ethnic groups are joining forces to innovate traditional products while telling stories of cross-border friendship.
Raohe county faces Russia’s Bikin city across the Wusuli River in the Khabarovsk Territory. The county’s Sipai Hezhe township is one of only three Hezhe ethnic townships in China.
People of the Hezhe ethnic group showcase fish they caught in Raohe county, Shuangyashan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo/Xu Yi)
Ge Yuxia, a Hezhe woman native to Raohe, is a representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Yimakan storytelling—an oral art form that combines singing and speaking to recount the history, legends, and customs of the Hezhe people.
A visit to Nanai villages across the river a decade ago remains vivid in her memory. In one home, an elderly Nanai villager shared the tale of a fishing maiden.
"It felt exactly like the fishing maiden story my father used to sing in his ’Yimakan’ performances," Ge said. Ge then shared her version of the story with the elder.
"After hearing it, the elder gave me a big hug," she said, noting that the elder then enthusiastically pointed out the similarities in clothing patterns and styles between the Hezhe and Nanai peoples.
You Xuesong (1st R) instructs a Russian tourist to make a fish-skin painting in Raohe county, Shuangyashan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo/Shi Qiao)
"We share the waters of the same river and jointly protect the fishing and hunting culture that has been passed down for centuries," Ge said, reflecting on the encounter.
Professor Ding Siyao from Jiamusi University in the province, who has long studied Hezhe culture, made a surprising discovery while visiting Russia: the Nanai people were familiar with the melody of the Hezhe folk song "Boat Song on the Wusuli" and could hum along to it.
"Cultural exchange between the two peoples serves as an important bridge across national boundaries, and they share the desire to achieve common development and prosperity through cultural and artistic exchange," Ding said.
At the center for the cultural and creative design industry center in Raohe along the Wusuli River, You Xuesong, a provincial representative inheritor of the Hezhe fish-skin craft, works on a fish-skin handicraft. Nearby, Russian Nanai artisan Valentina carefully observes You’s techniques, occasionally exchanging ideas.
Through years of collaboration, the two have experimented with combining pasting techniques of the Hezhe people’s art of fish-skin painting with the Nanai tradition of embroidery. As they continue exchanging and learning from each other, traditional crafts of both ethnic groups are preserved in artworks that celebrate their shared heritage.
At the China-Russia fish-skin craft workshop in Raohe, visitors can try their hand at the traditional craft. Many Russian tourists bring home handmade fish-skin paintings as cherished souvenirs.
Staff members of the intangible cultural heritage protection center of Raohe county exchange ideas on birch bark crafts with Nanai craftsmen from the Khabarovsk Territory, Russia. (Photo/Li Wenbo)
Driven by a shared commitment to preserving fishing and hunting culture, Raohe maintains regular exchanges with Khabarovsk, Amursk, and other Russian regions.
You frequently travels between Hezhe and Nanai villages, developing decorative products that combine fish skin with bone china and ceramics, as well as accessories—such as ornaments, headpieces, bracelets, and hair ties—that merge fish skin with macrame techniques.
Over the long course of history, the Hezhe and Nanai peoples have maintained cultural connections, economic exchanges, and deep friendships. Since the 1980s, the Hezhe people have held the Wurigong Festival every four years, inviting the Nanai people for performances. In turn, the Nanai people have revived their own traditional festivals, inviting Hezhe representatives to showcase intangible cultural heritage skills.
New cultural tourism routes continue to emerge as Raohe county seizes opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative. The county is vigorously promoting cross-border tourism and cultural and artistic exchange activities, including launching passenger transportation services connecting Raohe with Bikin and other Russian destinations.
Russian tourists pose for a group photo at the Sipai Hezhe scenic area in Raohe county, Shuangyashan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Raohe county)
Photo shows the picturesque scenery of Raohe county, Shuangyashan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo/Xu Yi)
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0710/c98649-20338506.html