HARBIN, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- A border port in Tongjiang of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has commenced a seasonal hovercraft operation on Tuesday to transport passengers between China and Russia.
Two hovercraft, both from China, were put into operation to ferry passengers between Tongjiang and the Russian city of Nizhneleninskoye, with 68 outbound trips and 81 inbound trips made on the launch day.
The hovercraft line started in 1999. Hovercraft, also known as air-cushion vehicles, are amphibious crafts capable of traveling over land, water, mud, ice and other surfaces.
Heihe, another important port in Heilongjiang, also opened its hovercraft line to Russia's Blagoveshchensk on Sunday. The operation is expected to last for two months until the river is fully frozen.
