Thandiswa Losi
In the first half of this year, 14.64 million foreign visitors came to China, a staggering 152% increase over the previous year’s decline due to the pandemic. It is clear that China’s efforts to streamline the visa process have largely paid off.
China, a significant participant in international travel in the past, is concentrating on increasing its inbound arrivals. The number of international tourists to the country seems to have increased as a result of recent modifications to the visa-free policy. Between January and June of this year, almost 8.5 million visa-free entries were reported, accounting for 58% of all incoming travel and representing a 190% increase from the previous year.
If you have ever toyed with the idea of travelling to the People’s Republic, I cannot make it any clearer that there has never been an easier and better time than now.
The expanded visa-free transit policy, effective since last November, includes citizens from 54 countries. They can stay up to 144 hours without a visa in cities like Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, provided they have a valid onward ticket.
China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy is a game-changer for travellers who wish to visit China without the hassle of obtaining a visa. The policy allows citizens of certain countries to transit through China without a visa for up to 144 hours, or six days. This policy was implemented in 2013 in Shanghai and later expanded to other cities in China, including Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou. The policy aims to promote tourism and business travel in China by making it easier for travellers to visit the country.
The key to the 144 hours visa-free transit policy is that you must be leaving to a different country from which you arrived. For example, from Canada to China and then to the US is fine. However, from the US to China and back to the US is not. The idea is you’re “in-transit” and just passing through China. A friend of mine visited Shanghai recently; she started in Tokyo transited through Shanghai for 5 days and then departed for Toronto.
A year trial visa-free travel for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia was introduced by China in November last year.
Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg were added to the initiative in March. The visa-free policy, which China first announced for a trial period ending on November 30, this year, has been extended until December 31, 2025.
Visa-free stays of up to 15 days are accessible to citizens of the countries holding regular passports for transit, business, tourist and family visits. Poland, Australia and New Zealand are the most recent countries to enlist in China’s growing visa waiver programme.
One of the most diverse and contrasting travel destinations you’ll go to is China, the second-largest country in the world. The sophisticated history and antiquated customs stand in stark contrast to the cutting-edge transportation and architecture.
China may be simultaneously loud and frenzied and rustic, rural, and undisturbed. Having travelled through the country over the past few years, though not having even scratched the surface of the massive country, it is like nowhere I have ever been and that is why with the help of the members of my book club, Shanghai Girls With a Reading Problem, I have compiled a list of five spectacular places to travel to in China.
1. Top of the Shanghai Girls with a Reading Problem’s list of amazing places to visit in China is, of course, Shanghai. It is a shopping paradise. It has a colourful nightlife and many Western and Eastern restaurants, convenient transportation and plenty of historical sites to visit. In the eyes of a foreigner, it has a unique oriental charm, while in the eyes of a Chinese, it certainly has a strong Western flavour. Shanghai’s riverside promenade, affectionately known as the Bund has a European feel bang-smack in the middle of the city, owing to its 52 preserved English- and French-influenced buildings.
2. “Nobody can be a great true hero unless he has been on the Great Wall” goes the popular Chinese saying, one that clearly demonstrates the importance placed upon the ancient monument. Some of the world’s oldest fortifications date from as far as the 7th century BC, with the best-known areas added around 210 BC when its various sections were joined together. A bonus to your trip would be to get a tour guide to narrate the beautiful history of the wall.
3. No visit to China would be complete without at least one Panda experience. While the country’s top zoos boast many fine specimens of the fascinating creatures, the best place to see them in a close approximation to their natural habitat is at the excellent Research Base of Giant Panda breeding in Chengdu Sichuan.
4. The Potala Palace in Tibet is another of China’s most recognisable historic structures, constructed as a fortress and residence for the Dalai Lama. For centuries, it was a centre of political and religious power and contains many of the Tibetan religion’s most important treasures.
5. Zangjiajie National forest park in Hunan is home to the Canyon Glass Bridge, the world’s highest and tallest pedestrian bridge. The bridge stands 300m above ground and extends 430m along a spectacular cliff face. An experience that is definitely not for the faint-hearted but worth it if you want to add a little adventure to your day.
It is worthwhile to take advantage of the 144 hours visa-free China transit, a magnificent world awaits you in the Middle Kingdom. While travelling, we not only discover the beauty of the world but also the expansiveness of our hearts. Travel is a remedy for the soul, a bridge for understanding and friendship. Step out of your country, step into China and feel every inch of this ancient yet modern land.
Losi is a freelance columnist.