China's expanded visa-free policies have sparked interest among international travelers for traditional Chinese culture and fueled a surge in local cultural tourism.
In the first 11 months of 2024, China welcomed 29.218 million foreign visitors, with 17.446 million entering visa-free, up 123.3 percent year-on-year.
This surge is leading to a growing demand for immersive cultural experiences. China, home to 1,557 nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage items, offers them opportunities to explore these traditions.
In Quanzhou City, east China's Fujian Province, string puppet show has been a popular attraction for international visitors.
"The plate spinners and the puppet that balances the jug on their head, the lion dance and the ribbon dance also. I like seeing these things," said an American visitor.
"I think it's very interesting. I've never seen a doll like this before. And I think it's a very imaginative way. See what the culture sort of outfits were like. I really like it," said an Indonesian student participating in a doll clothes-making workshop
A survey by the China Tourism Academy revealed that over 60 percent of respondents cited experiencing Chinese culture as their primary reason for visiting. World Heritage sites, the four ancient capitals, and intangible cultural heritage items like paper cutting, flower headband, and shadow puppetry are proving to be major draws for international tourists.
Shaolin Kung Fu, one of the most famous traditional martial arts in China, is a globally recognized symbol of Chinese culture. The Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou has seen an influx of international visitors eager to witness and learn this martial art.
"Because martial arts transcend borders. It's a body language understood worldwide," said Li Gang, head coach of Quanzhou Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks Troupe.
Eros, an Italian living in the city for nearly a decade, is a devoted Shaolin Kung Fu enthusiast. He attends performances every month and shared photos on social media to share the moment with his family and friends.
Thanks to the visa-free policy implemented for Italians by the end of 2023, Eros's mother and friends were finally able to visit him and experience Chinese culture.
"If you watch the show, you can just feel the power, the energy. I needed to send my passport for my visa to Chinese consulate. So, you need to plan in this one month before. You don't need to follow this rule now. And you can easily come to visit China," he shared.
China's visa-free policies boost cultural tourism, with Kung Fu leading the way for global visitors
A Brazilian national who was deported by the United States in January this year recounted the discriminatory and inhumane treatment he encountered during the repatriation in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV).
Jefferson Faustino was among the 88 deported Brazilians sent by a charter flight from the U.S. to Manaus, a city in northern Brazil, on Jan 24.
During dozens of hours of flight, they were handcuffed, shackled, and denied food and bathroom, and they almost lost their lives to an air conditioning fault, according to Faustino.
"They gave us water in very small bottles on the plane. And I couldn't drink it, because my hands were cuffed to the waist chain. So I had to bend down hard and squash the bottle to spray water into my mouth, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to reach the water at all. Even by doing so, I couldn't get water. When I squeeze the bottle, the water sprayed out and soaked me all over. In the 48 hours of repatriation, they distributed food only one time. It was a spoiled sandwich. The sandwich they gave turned purplish color. I was starving. What could I do? I had to eat," Faustino said.
"In the 48 hours of repatriation, they distributed food only one time. It was a spoiled sandwich. The sandwich they gave me was purple. I was starving. What could I do? I had to eat," he added.
Meanwhile, the American crew enjoyed fresh food and water, Faustino told CCTV.
"No, they had very good food. Every meal, they went over there to heat up box lunches and drink water. The cabin cabinets were full of lunch boxes, full of food, but they didn't give us that food," he said.
The Brazilian deportees protested the unfair treatment and asked for the food and water, but they were not given a response, because of the language barrier, Faustino recalled.
"Yes, we asked. We spoke loudly to them, but the crew didn't speak Portuguese or Spanish, only English. It's a humiliation to us the Brazilians, because we didn't have food and couldn't use the bathroom. The children were crying," he said.
After the plane arrived in Manaus, the air conditioning system broke down and the crew got off the plane, leaving the deportees suffocating in the enclosure.
"People couldn't breathe. The cabin was out of air. I managed to open an emergency exit door and shouted to the police: 'Help! Help! Help!' I yelled for help, asking them to come and save us, because I thought I was dying, I was dying," Faustino said.
The Brazilian government deemed this treatment "degrading" and "unacceptable", with the country's foreign ministry summoning the charge d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy to request an explanation over the issue on Jan 26.
"The U.S. government should be held accountable. Why didn't they train these people responsible for transporting deportees. Since the Trump administration came to power, it has created conflicts in American society and adopted policies that are completely against democracy and public opinion, disrupting relations between the U.S. and its economic and political partners," said Rinaldo Leal, a Brazilian lawyer.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed on his inauguration day an executive order that called for mass deportations of undocumented migrants. Since then, raids and deportations of undocumented migrants, especially those from Latin America, have continued to ramp up.
Brazilian deportee recounts inhumane treatment during flight from US
Brazilian deportee recounts inhumane treatment during flight from US
