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
Holidaymakers have been amazed by the magnificent Qiantang River tidal bore in Haining City of east China's Zhejiang Province, as the "Silver Dragon" ushers in its best viewing season around the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.
A tidal bore is a phenomenon where the leading edge of an incoming tide creates a wave that surges up a river against the flow.
The centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the Earth and the trumpet shape of the Hangzhou Bay in Zhejiang makes it easy for the tide to come in, but difficult to ebb, thus giving rise to the largest tidal bore, which is called the "Silver Dragon" by locals.
The Qiantang River boasts a variety of tidal types that can be observed from different vantage points, including the criss-cross tidal bore, the one-line tidal bore, the back-flow tidal bore, and the fish scale tidal bore.
The best time to witness the Qiantang River tides is during the eighth month of the traditional Chinese calendar, with the most dramatic display typically occurring on the 18th day of the month, which falls on Sept 20 this year.
Tide-watching has become a grand folk tradition on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival because the best viewing time is close to the celebration date of the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, in honor of the moon and harvest, is one of the most important Chinese festivals. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. It falls on Tuesday this year.
Footage filmed at the Yanguan Tourist Resort in Haining City, a renowned destination where tourists gather to admire the tides every year, on Tuesday showed awe-inspiring scenes of great waves hurtling at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour and splashing against the dam time to time.
The T-shaped dams stretching along the river not only reduce the impact of the surging tide on the river bank but also offer a stunning view of ups and downs of roaring waves.
Strong wind brought by typhoon Bebinca has made the river swell and raised the water level on the river. The latest data showed that Tuesday's tidal bore was even more spectacular than previous days, reaching a height of around one meter.
Local authorities have warned tide-viewers to keep a close eye on the weather and pay attention to safety.
Magnificent Qiantang River tidal bore in east China city amazes holidaymakers
