New measures have been facilitating international visitors' travel in China, including the tap-to-ride service in Beijing subway network and simplified visa procedure in tourist hotspots like Lijiang City in Yunnan Province. Last month, Beijing subway introduced point-of-sale (POS) machines and card-tap service specifically designed for international travelers. With just a quick tap of a bank card, the system automatically calculates and charges the fare, streamlining the process and making it more convenient than ever.
"I just put my Mastercard (behind) my phone and then I can just tap my phone, instead of opening my APP and standing there [at the ticket machine.] I just tap my phone with my card. Yeah, quite cooler," a South African tourist said.
Beyond Beijing, Lijiang, a top tourist destination in Yunnan Province, has introduced new visa measures that allow foreign tour groups to clear customs in minutes.
"For foreign visitors from non-visa-exempt countries entering Lijiang, they no longer need to apply for a visa at Chinese embassies. They can get group visas from tour operators," said Hu Dalin, an entry and exit control officer in Lijiang.
"It very quickly helps many tourists to travel from Vietnam to China. So, this is a very big opportunity for more Vietnamese tourists to come to China," said a Vietnamese tour guide named Tran Thanh Vu.
New measures make inbound travel easier in China
New measures make inbound travel easier in China
More users of new energy vehicles (NEVs) are hitting the road during this year’s National Day holiday, as an expanded public charging network in China is significantly alleviating range anxiety for drivers.
Since Tuesday, the first day of the week-long holiday, expressways in east China's Jiangsu Province have seen daily traffic exceed 150,000 vehicles, with nearly 10 percent being NEVs. In Taizhou City, a service area reported all 12 charging piles occupied around 14:00 on Wednesday.
"The number of charging piles has doubled, and they are all fast chargers. What's even more reassuring is that the staff are always here to serve us, which really eases my range anxiety," said Meng Haoyang, a NEV driver.
Similar scenes were observed in Anhui Province, where electric vehicles are arriving for charging every ten minutes at a service area equipped with 16 functioning charging piles available around-the-clock.
"It is quite convenient to charge our vehicles here since there are staff providing full service, which reduces our waiting time," said Jiang Hao, another NEV driver.
A famous tourist attraction, the Shimen Village in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province has drawn an increasing number of visitors going on holiday via electric vehicles, thanks to the construction of a new EV charging station.
"It is very convenient. The car is parked outside being charged while we're enjoying our tour around the village. Things can be done simultaneously without delay," said a tourist Wan Qian.
Data from the State Grid's smart vehicle networking platform showed EV charging volume at expressway stations reached a record 15.58 million kilowatt-hours during the first two days of the holiday, up 56 percent from the same period last year.
Local authorities are actively fostering a user-friendly environment to accommodate the surge in EV traffic.
In Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, three mobile charging stations have been added to a service area on the busy Shenyang-Haikou Expressway to resolve drivers' range anxiety and offer more flexible charging options.
"We have prepared mobile charging piles in service areas with large traffic and charging demand for the holiday, guiding drivers to charge in an orderly and fast manner," said Zhu Zhenyuan, a staff member from the State Grid Pinghu Power Supply Company.
The coverage of charging stations has been further expanded across the country.
In Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, charging facilities are available in all service areas and tourist attractions.
In Xiaogan, Hubei Province, 600 villages and rural scenic spots have been equipped with charging stations during this holiday, greatly facilitating tourist trips and family visits for EVs owners.
Expanded charging network boosts NEV use during National Day holiday
