BEIJING, July 12,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn
on traveling in China:
Some viral jokes started by foreign tourists in China have popped up on the Chinese social
media lately. For example, a video creator redefined "city," and
his part-English-part-Chinese punchline which literally means "city
or not" has been imitated by numerous netizens. Another
vlogger bluntly said it's too "dangerous" in China at night, because the gourmet foods at
night are such a lure.
At the beginning, many videos about people's impression of
China were posted on non-Chinese
video platforms, with the hashtag "China Travel." They've been so
popular that some people reposted them back on Chinese social
media, with their jokes and punchlines being well received by
Chinese netizens.
One important change has made it possible for so many foreign
tourists to appear in China — the
country again relaxed its visa requirements. Last December,
China included altogether 54
countries in its 72/144 visa-free transit list; in less than four
months after that, China extended
its visa-free policy to 11 European countries including
France, Germany and Switzerland. Several days ago, New Zealand, Australia and Poland were added to the visa-free policy
list.
Meanwhile, things have become easier for the foreigners who
travel in China, both in terms of
facilities and services. For example, in the past, many foreign
tourists found it difficult to "spend their money" in China, given China's prevailing norm of cashless payment.
Now, for those who choose traditional payment methods, foreign bank
cards and cash are more acceptable in more places, as an
alternative to mobile payments. For those who prefer to try the new
way, the required procedures like ID verification and bank card
binding have also been streamlined.
Lower thresholds and a smoother experience have spurred more
people to travel in China.
Statistics show that in Q1 this year, the number of foreign
visitors increased over 3-fold compared to Q1 in 2023, with more
than 1.98 million people entering China via the visa-free policy, an increase of
266.1% compared to 2023.
With China's gate wide open to
the world, more international friends have the chance for a
first-hand China experience. The
"rookie visitors" usually start with metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, while the experienced ones will
choose to explore other popular destinations, like Chengdu and Chongqing in southwestern China. There are also "advanced players" who
are confident enough to begin their adventures in farther places
like Xinjiang and Qinghai…
To no one's surprise, many of them fell in love with the
kaleidoscope of Chinese gourmet foods. Some of them are amazed by
China's infrastructure, like how
clean and tidy the bathrooms are in China's subway stations, or how fast and
comfortable are the high speed trains; a vlogger posted a video of
him accidentally joining a group of elderly public square dancers
at night; and some went to Xinjiang and tasted the delicious local
foods and watched the local performances…
More and more first-person perspectives about the Chinese people
and the country are being posted on international social media
platforms. And there are something in common: A lot of these
content creators and numerous comments are saying, China is not what they expected.
Of course, there's no perfect destination. In a thousand
tourists' eyes, there are a thousand images of China. But, if one pays a visit to
China, he or she will for sure
find an answer to questions like is China safe at night, or is life in
China dim.
Quoting Mark Twain, travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and
narrow-mindedness. Now, China is
expanding its "circle of friends" and opening its gate wider. So,
book your flight and buckle up, friends — you will be sincerely
welcomed.
China
Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
Tourists having the time of their life in China — What made this
possible?
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2024-07/12/content_117304180.htm
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SOURCE China.org.cn