There were more than 1,000 Russian tourists celebrating the 2015 New Year in Hunchun, a harbor city in the east of Jilin province, on Dec 31, as improving trade relations between the latter and the Russian Far East Region has brought many Russians to work at the harbor city.

Many of them spent New Year’s Eve in local hotels.

"This is a big time for our reunion as I live in Russia and my husband works here,"said one Russian couple. "We will look around the city, and hopefully buy some gifts for our family back home."

Although a plunge in the value of the ruble has hit Russia's economy, many Russians remained in a good mood for the New Year’s celebration. "Yes, it’s true. The ruble has lost value, but the celebration is a big tradition for us," one Russian lady from Primorsky Krai, the largest economy in the Russian Far East said. "I’m happy to spend New Year here."

A few Hunchun government officials joined in the celebration with the deputy mayor greeting guests from Russia.