BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) — As China continues to chill out its visa-free insurance policies, the nation has seen a notable improve in international guests becoming a member of the Spring Festival journey rush, desperate to expertise its wealthy cultural traditions.
The Spring Festival journey rush, or chunyun, started on Jan. 14 and can proceed by way of Feb. 22. Preliminary statistics present that ticket bookings for inbound flights throughout this era surged 47 % 12 months on 12 months.
As Japanese traveler Kyoko Shimada touched down at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, she was greeted by a vibrant show of crimson lanterns and paper cuttings that includes the Chinese character “fu,” a logo of excellent fortune.
Having lengthy dreamed of visiting China, Shimada and her husband seized the prospect to journey simply forward of the Spring Festival, profiting from China’s visa-free coverage for Japanese residents.
“Although the airport was busy before the holiday, the immigration process was smooth and faster than I expected. The signs were clear, and some were even in Japanese,” Shimada mentioned. During their three-day keep in Shanghai, the couple plans to benefit from the conventional lantern reveals within the historical Yuyuan Garden and savor town’s native delicacies.
In 2024, China additional relaxed its visa insurance policies to reinforce openness and promote people-to-people exchanges, permitting extra international vacationers and enterprise individuals to go to the nation visa-free.
A key improvement was the introduction of expanded unilateral visa-free entry insurance policies in November 2024, permitting strange passport holders from 38 nations to remain in China for as much as 30 days without having a visa.
The following month, China introduced a leisure in its visa-free transit coverage, growing the permitted keep for eligible international vacationers to 240 hours, up from the earlier limits of 72 or 144 hours.
According to Trip.com Group, China’s on-line journey service big, inbound journey orders from international vacationers surged by 203 % 12 months on 12 months in the course of the Spring Festival, with nearly all of guests coming from the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
Recently, Thai vacationer Ruchanewan Binsaree traveled to the traditional metropolis of Xi’an, the capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, with a pal. “I’ve visited cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou before, but we came here specifically to see the famous Terracotta Warriors,” Binsaree mentioned.
During their journey, they explored town’s historic structure, strolled alongside a pedestrian avenue adorned with festive lanterns, and loved watching locals wearing crimson Hanfu, a conventional type of Chinese clothes.
Since the primary day of the Spring Festival journey rush, Xi’an’s port has welcomed greater than 3,100 inbound international guests, marking a 187 % improve in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months. Among them, over 1,800 availed of the visa-free insurance policies, whereas greater than 360 took benefit of the 240-hour visa-free transit choice.
Beyond air journey, the high-speed railway has develop into a preferred choice for international vacationers in the course of the Spring Festival rush, due to its comfort and effectivity.
“We originally planned to visit northern cities for the Spring Festival, but the high-speed railway made it possible to explore more places in a shorter time,” mentioned a vacationer from the Netherlands, as she waited at Guangzhou South Railway Station in south China’s Guangdong Province. “We are eager to experience the unique traditions of different cities during the Chinese New Year, making this Spring Festival even more memorable.”
Praising the clear, well-maintained surroundings of China’s railway stations, she mentioned, “The process of entering the station was particularly smooth. Simply swiping my passport verified my identity and ticket information.”
“China’s ongoing efforts to ease visa-free policies have attracted a growing number of foreign tourists, providing them with the opportunity to experience the country’s rich cuisine, vibrant culture and beautiful landscapes,” mentioned Zhu Mao, deputy director of the tradition and tourism improvement fee of southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.
This development serves as a priceless platform for fostering people-to-people exchanges and deepening international understanding of China, he added.