Mohan Port handles 16,000 Thai travelers in 6 months

As of Saturday, the Mohan Port at the southernmost tip of southwest China's Yunnan Province has handled more than 16,000 Thai passengers in the six months starting on March 1, when the China-Thailand mutual visa exemption agreement came into effect.

Of these Thai visitors, 54 percent were visa-free passengers, according to the Mohan entry-exit border inspection station, which is also the largest land port between China and Laos and the largest land port for Thai tourists to enter China from Yunnan.

Among the third-country passengers entering and exiting the port, Thai passengers accounted for more than 74 percent, according to the border inspection station.

On July 19 this year, the Laos-Thailand cross-border passenger train was officially put into operation. Inbound passengers to China could travel by train from Bangkok to Lao capital Vientiane, and then take the China-Laos Railway from Vientiane to China. Outbound passengers from China can travel to Laos before going on to Thailand, and then to Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries.

Such convenience has led to a significant increase in the entries and exits at the Mohan Railway Port.

"I have come to China for sightseeing many times, more than 20 times. It is very convenient to enter and leave China now. I like China very much. China is beautiful, Chinese people are very friendly, and Chinese police are also lovely. China and Thailand are like one family," said Thai tourist Lalun Kunnapat.

According to statistics from the Mohan border inspection station, from July 19 to August 31, the Mohan railway port handled more than 1,400 inbound and outbound Thai passengers, an increase of nearly 50 percent year on year, and visa-free Thai passengers accounted for 56 percent of them.

The visa-free policies provided by China and neighboring countries will vigorously boost the tourism market, according to industry experts.

"As China's tourism market becomes more and more attractive, coupled with policies such as mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand, and Laos' visa-free policy for Chinese tourist groups, I believe that tourism along the Kunming-Bangkok channel and along the route will become more and more popular," said Yu Nan, a tour guide of the China International Travel Service.

Mohan Port handles 16,000 Thai travelers in 6 months

To celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, south China introduced to visitors baby panda Mei Zhu, the daughter of Meng Meng, the oldest sister of the world's only surviving panda triplets, and prepared a series of activities on Friday.

Mei Zhu, aged only 87 days, is in good health and just began teething. But the baby panda always gets a bit cranky after milk feedings, and requires panda keepers to spend around half an hour to calm her down.

"As a young panda, her digestive system is still developing, and excessive activity after feeding can lead to digestive issues. She is quite energetic now. If she found any strangers entering her enclosure and they wanted to, for example, pet her, she would be quite defensive, due to her self-protection instincts," said Chen Siming, a wildlife conservation expert.

Another star panda in the zoo, Guo Qing, also received his present, a pile of mooncake-shaped wowotou (a type of steamed corn bread). Guo Qing was of good appetite, which amused many of his fans.

"I am here just to see her. I drove 38 kilometers just to watch her mischief. She is very famous for that, always causing trouble when her keeper is not around," said a visitor.

The koalas are also welcoming guests. Totaling over 70 koalas in the park, more than 40 of them were presented to visitors by their keepers. The chubby animals constitute a big family of eight generations, with the youngest being 2 years old and the oldest reaching 19, much older than the average lifespan of the species.

"We've sent technicians to Australia to learn how to feed the Koalas, pick up veterinary and health care skills. With our valuable experience gained through years of raising the koalas, we are able to provide them good environment, food, and medical care. As a result, the average lifespan of the troop is getting longer," said a koala keeper.

In addition to these highlights, Chimelong Safari Park is also planning a series of animal enrichment events and sharing stories of the animals with the visitors during the Mid-Autumn Festival vacation.

Safari park in Guangzhou presents baby panda to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival