Passengers board the first direct flight between Yekaterinburg and Beijing at the airport in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on July 5, 2009. The China-Russia cooperation in tourism has substantially progressed, which also has promoted bilateral understandings and exchange of culture in recent years. The Year of Chinese Tourism in Russia in 2013 will be inaugurated by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits Moscow later this month. [Xinhua/Liu Yang]