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Hainan prepares for tourism surge following new six-day visa-free policy

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      China

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      Hainan prepares for tourism surge following new six-day visa-free policy

      2024-08-01 22:25 Last Updated At:22:57

      Hainan's launch of a six-day visa-free policy for foreign tour groups entering the island province from Hong Kong or Macao is expected to attract a significant influx of tourists.

      Starting from Tuesday, people from countries with diplomatic relations with China can visit the southern island province of Hainan visa-free for 144 hours via tour groups registered in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, said the National Immigration Administration.

      The tropical island province stated that it will further optimize the customs clearance and enrich tourism products to promote the growth in inbound tourism.

      "In Hainan, the border inspection agencies have introduced biometric data collection equipment at international airports in Haikou, Sanya, Boao, and other places, greatly cutting time that passengers spend on customs clearance. At Haikou Meilan International Airport, the verification channels have been increased from eight to 18, and the fast lanes have been expanded from six to 24," said Luo Zhengyu, deputy director of the Haikou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

      Data show that in the first half of this year, Hainan attracted nearly 500,000 inbound tourists, a year-on-year increase of more than 251 percent. During the peak summer tourism season, the island has become one of the popular destinations for Hong Kong and Macao residents as well as foreign tourists. Air passenger trips between Hong Kong and Hainan have increased nearly 40 percent year on year.

      To cope with various demands from tourists, the province has also launched customized tourism products.

      "More than 20 tourism products and routes tailored for this policy have been developed. We also added customized inbound tourism products that contain flights connecting Hong Kong or Macao to Sanya, as well as various hotel accommodations," explained Liu Cheng, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Film, Television, Publications and Sports at a press conference on Wednesday.

      Hainan prepares for tourism surge following new six-day visa-free policy

      Hainan prepares for tourism surge following new six-day visa-free policy

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      Promotional video of CMG Spring Festival Gala screened at cultural events in Europe

      2025-01-20 16:52 Last Updated At:17:07

      A promotional video of the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, a grand Chinese Lunar New Year celebration presented by China Media Group (CMG), was screened at various cultural events to mark the upcoming festival in European countries including Greece, Ukraine and Germany.

      The Chinese embassies in Greece and Ukraine held receptions last Friday to mark the assumption of office of the new Chinese ambassador to the host country and to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, marking the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

      At the receptions, the promotional video of the gala was screened and colorful cultural performance was staged, captivating the audience in attendance.

      "I think this promotional video is very good. I would expect a lot of technological effects and elements in the gala. This year, I will invite my friends over again to make dumplings and watch the Spring Festival Gala together, which, I think, will be very significant," said Yu Shuxian, an overseas Chinese in Athens, Greece.

      In Germany, attendees of cultural events held in Hamburg and Gottingen also watched the promotional video and said they eagerly look forward to enjoying the gala on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year on January 28.

      The gala, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been broadcast live annually on the Chinese New Year's Eve since 1983, and has been seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in China.

      The 2025 Spring Festival gala will be the first edition since the Spring Festival's successful inclusion on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

      For Chinese people, the gala has evolved beyond a mere television show. It represents a nationally shared experience, a collective memory, and its evolution is in many ways representative of China's wider technological growth and social development.

      Promotional video of CMG Spring Festival Gala screened at cultural events in Europe

      Promotional video of CMG Spring Festival Gala screened at cultural events in Europe

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