A young Russian artist, whose Chinese name is Yin Na, came to the Harbin Institute of Technology in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province for postgraduate study two years ago and says that she has gained new inspiration for her oil paintings and has now fallen in love with the city.

Yin Na uses her spare time to go to the Daowai and Daoli districts, where there are many historical buildings with a mix of Chinese and Western elements, and has done a large lot of oil paintings and taken photographs there.

Some of her work has been on display in Beijing and Harbin and, after graduation this July, she plans to continue to promote cultural communications between China and Russia.

Yin Na and her boyfriend examining a part of of St Sofia Church, in Harbin, Heilongjiang on July 9. [Photo by Wang Song/Xinhua]

An oil painting based on the Harbin cityscape at an exhibition, in Beijing. [Photo by Wang Song/Xinhua]