Russian President Vladimir Putin will take two hours off his busy two-day schedule in China to visit the famed Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan Province.

After formal talks and activities with Chinese leaders in Beijing, Putin a keen fan of martial arts and a black belt in judo will fly to Henan tomorrow afternoon to have a look at the place which is considered a shrine to Chinese kung fu.

It is known that Putin's two daughters are learning Chinese martial arts and one of them is studying Chinese.

This possibly reflects Russia's growing interest in China, its language and culture but it is not a one-way street Chinese, especially youngsters, are also keen to know more about Russia.

About 65 per cent of college students are interested in Russia, yet know little about its culture and history, according to a recent survey jointly conducted by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and Tsinghua University.

"To me, Russia means nested dolls, vodka, figure skating, acrobatics and well-known writers and novels," said Yin Yu, 27.

But she said famous Russian songs such as "Night at Moscow Suburbs" and "Crab Tree" cannot sate young people's desire to know more of modern Russia.

"We should develop a new friendship based on the traditional one," she said, "that is why I am looking forward to the Year of Russia in China. I want to explore a new Russia."

Putin and President Hu Jintao will jointly inaugurate the Year of Russia in China at the Great Hall of the People tonight to promote the development of their strategic relationship.

Jia Bo, an official with the All-China Youth Federation, told Xinhua that the development of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership would be strengthened by interaction among young people in addition to official visits.

Liang Tao, an English major with Beijing Foreign Language Studies University, said he loves Hollywood blockbusters but now he also likes to watch Russian TV series, such as "Lost in St. Petersburg," the Russian equivalent of "Gone With the Wind."

According to an online survey by China Central Television, more than 30 per cent of the viewers want to watch more Russian TV series this year.