Historical sites in Beijing, especially landmarks along the city's central axis, have seen a significant rise in foreign visitors since China further relaxed its visa-free transit policy in December.
Last November, China further expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from nine additional countries. Since it was first implemented two years ago, this pilot policy has now been applied to a total of 38 countries.
Moreover, the National Immigration Administration has introduced more than 100 measures to streamline the entry process for foreign visitors. These include optimizing visa-free policies, transit visa regulations and port visa procedures, which have made traveling to China much easier and boosted international exchanges.
Murali Reddy (left) and his family from New Zealand at the entrance to the Temple of Heaven Park in Dongcheng district, Beijing, Jan. 7, 2025. [Photo by Yan Bin/China.org.cn]
"This is the first time my family travel to China. The visa-free policy has truly made it extremely convenient for us to spend our vacation here. We are deeply impressed by the ancient buildings in Beijing," said New Zealand tourist Murali Reddy after viewing the city's Temple of Heaven.
"This is the first time me and my friend have come to China," said Alberto Coelho Pereira from Brazil. He obtained a 240-hour transit visa in Beijing upon landing in the city. "We have nearly 20 days of vacation. The relaxed visa policies enable us to stay in China for 10 days before moving on to other countries," he said. "This is a great opportunity for us to get to know Beijing and China." Pereira added that he plans to visit the Great Wall next during his trip.