China Travel has become a popular trend on social media, with foreign tourists sharing their experiences in China through videos. The trend has garnered millions of views and is motivating more people to explore the country.
As the country experiences a surge in popularity among international tourists, three foreign influencers have shared their travel and life experiences in China with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
Kourosh Kamyabi, a social media influencer from Canada who runs the account KSquared, said Shanghai's charm deeply attracted him.
"I saw a video online of what Shanghai looks like today. I said wow. I never see this. I have to go check this out. We went to Shanghai, and it was such a beautiful, modern city, very grand, very nice," he said.
On his first trip, Kamyabi visited the site of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China, describing it as a valuable and enjoyable experience that deepened his understanding of the country.
"That museum gave me an idea of why this party came to be. It seems like China historically was being treated really bad and really unfair. So it seems like some strong figures had to come into power to make China a respectable country, a more powerful country. And that explains why China is where it is today," he said.
In the first five months of 2024, China welcomed over 12 million foreign travelers, with more than 7 million benefiting from visa-free entry. Citizens from 54 countries can enter China through 37 designated ports with valid travel documents and stay for up to 144 hours.
Kamyabi expressed his intention to obtain a longer-term visa for his next trip to China, as he plans to spend an extended period - ideally two weeks to a month - exploring the country.
Paul Ashton, an American social media influencer who has been living in China for seven years, coined the popular catchphrase "City by City," a blend of English and Chinese that is rapidly gaining traction on social media.
"A lot of us that are here have known for a while, we're based here, because we know China's got a lot to offer," he said.
Foreign visitors now frequently associate China with safety, modernity, cleanliness, and kindness - qualities that are also leading many to choose to settle in the country.
Antoine Bunel, a Frenchman who has lived in China for over a decade, has gained significant popularity by creating food content on social media.
"Pretty much every time I discover new dishes, the variety, probably without a doubt, surpasses all of the food that we have in France and probably even in Europe combined. China is a huge country, and it's a never-ending source of pleasure for me," Antoine said.
Having lived in China for many years, Paul and Antoine, who know the country inside out, said they are far from getting bored. They noted that there is always something new to experience in China, whether for first-time visitors, long-term residents, or even locals.
Paul emphasized that travel is the best way to better understand foreigners, as it allows people to experience cultures firsthand and engage directly with those who live there.
"Travel is such an amazing way for people to kind of subvert global narratives, to be able to actually experience a culture firsthand, to talk to people that are there. I think it is always a healthy way for us to better understand each other internationally," said Paul.
China's visa-free policy helps more foreigners better understand China: overseas influencers
The high-quality development of east China's Shandong Province featuring innovation and green development has been providing opportunities to foreigners ranging from business promoters to even internet influencers.
As leader in the country's foreign trade, the coastal province of Shandong has been making consistent efforts to push forward its high-level opening-up.
In the first half of this year, Shandong imported and exported 1.62 trillion yuan (230 billion U.S. dollars) worth of goods, marking a 4.3-percent year-over-year increase, according to the customs data released in mid-July.
The province's export to regions like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Brazil continued growing during the period.
Ryan Norman, an American living in Rizhao City, has been witnessing all the changes for years as Shandong's close economic ties with the world have boosted its development.
By sharing short videos of him wondering in local markets and making dishes in a big wok, Ryan has attracted over one million followers on social media.
"I am Ryan Norman, an American from California. Now I am married with a Rizhao woman. I have been in China for 19 years. I did some business before, but in recent years I've been making short videos. If the weather is good, staying on beach makes me happier. There is a 28-kilometer sunshine seaside track and every summer, we run back and forth along the track," he said.
The high-quality development of Shandong comes together with green development. In 2023, the province generated over 158 billion kilowatt-hours of green power from new energy and renewables, increasing by 21.9 percent year on year and representing 24.4 percent of the total power generated, up 3.6 percent from 2022.
Last year, the province issued a three-year action plan on promoting green and low-carbon high-quality development, as the province is set to pursue a deep integration of culture and tourism.
"As the environment is getting better and better, more locals like to visit our tea tourism cultural park and its good reputation has attracted droves of tourists," said Yan Zaoning, director of a local tea park.
Sebastian Valcic from Germany now works in an innovation zone in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong. He said in recent years, he witnessed over 500 enterprises from countries like Germany, France, Finland, and Japan setting branches in the innovation zone, and these changes boosted his confidence in China's high-quality development.
"Thanks to the institutional and mechanism reform of the Jinan Innovation Zone, I, as a German, can have the opportunity to join the investment promotion department of the Jinan Innovation Zone management committee. I am responsible for attracting global investment. Over the recent years, our team has signed over 100 projects. The Jinan Innovation Zone is a national new- and high-tech development zone, a free trade zone, a comprehensive bonded zone, a pilot zone for upgrading development engine, and a sci-tech innovation financial reform pilot zone. The innovation zone has so many institutional innovations and preferential policies for expanding opening-up. Every time we have an investment promotion event, I always want the investors to know how special here is," said Sebastian Valcic, an external liaison officer of the management committee's investment promotion department.
Apart from attracting investment, Sebastian Valcic said his team will also work to connect enterprises so that they can cooperate with potential partners up and down the industrial chain.
"We will introduce companies up and down the industrial chain to the enterprises so that they can connect, communicate, and cooperate with one another," he said.
According to its three-year action plan, Shandong will continue to enhance the quality and level of its trade and investment by enhancing the efficiency of using foreign investment and deepening international economic and trade cooperation.
Shandong high-quality development provides opportunities to international firms, individuals
