A total of 83 swimmers from Heihe City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Amur Region of Russia swam across the Heilongjiang River on Saturday.

Forty of the swimmers are from China while the rest from Russia. They all successfully crossed the boundary river of the two countries and received flowers and thundering applauses from the cheering local people.

Organizers of two countries awarded cups and commemorative certificates to the swimmers.

After crossing the river, swimmers would make friendly visits in both countries.

It is the forth time that swimmers from the two countries crossed the boundary river as the economic, trade, cultural and sports exchanges between the two sides have been warming and upgrading.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2005)