China's capital Beijing has welcomed a record number of foreign tourists to the city so far this year, with many citing the local culture, cuisine, and iconic landmarks as being the main draws, while new visa-relaxation policies have also encouraged more overseas travelers to make the trip.
The latest data shows that Beijing ports have recorded over 696,000 inbound and outbound foreign travelers since the beginning of the year, according to the statistics released by the Beijing Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station on Thursday. Among these, 148,000 entered China under visa-free or 144-hour transit policies, marking a 260 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
China has been moving to ease its visa policies in recent months and in December announced a relaxation of the visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers to 240 hours from the previous periods of 72 hours or 144 hours.
At Beijing Capital International Airport, travelers from around the world expressed excitement about their trips and the many attractions that have brought them here.
"We went to see very famous landmarks which is the Great Wall of China, Temple of Heaven. We went to the Forbidden City. We also were introduced to very interesting Chinese traditions such as the Chinese tea, the Chinese culture, the food as well. We had so much fun here during our four days in Beijing," said a tourist from the Philippines who was concluding her visit. "I'm from Spain. I'm 10 years old. I'm here for tourism and we visited here in Beijing many things, the Great Wall, the (Forbidden) City," said another young traveler who had just arrived.
Many visitors say they were also inspired to explore China after watching movies that showcased the country's culture, with a wave of blockbuster releases hitting cinema screens during the recent Chinese New Year holiday period.
Among them is the hugely popular Chinese animation "Ne Zha 2" which features a tale based on ancient Chinese mythology and has shattered numerous global box office records to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
"I really like Ne Zha. I thought it was really good. I couldn't understand a word because I don't speak Chinese but I thought it was great," said an American tourist.
Another hit film has been the latest installment of the "Detective Chinatown" franchise, which is this time set in San Francisco and features a star-studded cast including Hollywood actor John Cusack, making it more appealing to global viewers.
"[It was] brilliant! There was one in London, one in Japan, one in Thailand. I think the last one, 'Detective Chinatown 1900' was brilliant. I also bought a book. It took me almost two years to find an English book about the 5,000-year history of China," said a tourist from South Africa.
Beijing welcomes record number of foreign tourist arrivals so far in 2025
