South Korean tourists flock to Shanghai for weekend

China

South Korean tourists flock to Shanghai for weekend

2024-12-24 17:23 Last Updated At：12-25 01:07

Shanghai has become a popular destination for South Korean tourists enjoying their days off, especially at weekends.

Since China began to implement trial visa exemption to ordinary passport holders from South Korea for short-term business, tourism, family visits, and transit on Nov 8, 2024, major hotspots in Shanghai have been filled with South Korean visitors every weekend.

For South Korean visitors to Shanghai, the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea on the Madang Road is a must "check-in" spot. The nearby trendy shopping area of Xintiandi is also high on their itinerary.

Other iconic attractions such as the Bund, traditional Chinese garden Yuyuan, and century-old Wukang Mansion designed by the renowned Hungarian-Slovak architect László Hudec (1893–1958) which has been the residence of many celebrities, are also top spots among South Korean visitors.

Many of them appreciate the blend of traditional Chinese charm and European-style appeal in Shanghai.

"(It's) very clean, magnificent, and charming. (The Oriental Pearl), it's something you cannot see in South Korea. It's so spectacular," said a South Korean tourist.

Youngsters from South Korea have developed new ways to enjoy themselves in Shanghai, such as attired in traditional Chinese Hanfu costumes to have a photo taken at a studio at Yuyuan Garden.

A newlywed couple was spotted having wedding photos taken in front of the Wukang Mansion. China's visa-free transit extended from previous 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours has inspired them to capture their romance in Shanghai.

"It feels good to have our wedding photos taken here and so we made it. The landscape here is more exotic as compared with Seoul, and it's really nice," said the bridegroom.

Tourism data show that since China implemented the unilateral visa-free policy for South Korea, Shanghai has been the hottest destination for inbound tourists from the country, with booking orders increased by more than 180 percent year on year, or by 40 percent month on month, followed by Qingdao and Beijing.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.