Bonds that evoke feelings of Deja Vu

Editor's note: Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations. China Daily will come out with a series of stories highlighting Chinese cities' special connections with sister cities, mutual understanding, trust and friendship between peoples of different countries and cultural backgrounds, and shining light on "city diplomacy".

Daria Romadina, a Moscow native studying in Beijing, sometimes finds the lines between her two worlds blurring. As she walks on the bustling streets of these two world capitals she often feels as though she has momentarily stepped into the other city.

"The Beijing Exhibition Center and the All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow look remarkably similar," said Romadina, 22, who has studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing for two years.

"Near the Russian embassy in Beijing are many Russian restaurants and supermarkets, which makes it feel like I'm back in Moscow."

This summer she returned to Moscow and was surprised by the growing presence of Chinese culture there.

"Strolling through the streets of Moscow I noticed Chinese restaurants that used to be found only near the Chinese embassy have now spread across the city. You can find everything from roasted skewers to Lanzhou noodles and even Peking duck on the streets.

"A friend in Moscow suggested I visit a place in the north of the city called Huaming Park. Walking into it was like stepping back into those parks in Beijing because it incorporates many traditional Chinese garden elements."

Romadina's observations highlight a deeper cultural exchange between the two cities, which have been sister cities since 1995. In fact, Beijing and Moscow have a tapestry of connections that transcend mere architectural similarities.

The Forbidden City and the Kremlin, both central to their respective cities, are surrounded by ring roads and crisscrossed by webs of underground railway lines. These complex subway systems are eloquent symbols of how closely entwined the two cities are with one another.