Bai Xiaojuan (middle), deputy secretary of Manzhouli municipal Party committee, meets delegates from Russia and Mongolia. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Sumbayeva, a 40-year old lady from Russia's Chita, enjoyed a traditional Lantern Festival in Manzhouli, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on March 5.

"I saw traditional Chinese acupuncture in the local hospital and danced yangge (a Chinese folk dance) at the city's square with local residents. I also ate tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). I love the festive atmosphere. It helps me better understand Chinese traditional culture," Sumbayeva said.

She came to Manzhouli for a China-Russia-Mongolia friendship activity with 29 other women delegates in a delegation comprising members from Russia's Chita and Mongolia's Dornod Aimag. The delegation's trip in Manzhouli includes visiting hospitals for traditional Chinese medicine, yangge dance, watching women calligraphers create calligraphy works on site and making tangyuan.

In order to celebrate the coming International Women's Day on March 8, Manzhouli organized the friendship activity to offer a communication opportunity for women from the three countries and to strengthen exchange and cooperation between them.