International tourists traveling to Shanghai, one of the most popular inbound travel destinations in China, have spoken highly of their experiences with the country's multiple preferential measures including visa-free and tax refund policies.
In Shanghai's downtown area of Huangpu District, the Tianzifang neighborhood attracts visitors from around the world. The vibrant streets, adorned with colorful decorations and lined with boutique shops, offer a glimpse of old Shanghai life and a wide range of unique souvenirs, attracting the attention of international consumers.
Since the introduction of the "buy and refund" departure tax refund service in April, many foreigners have been flocking to China in groups for shopping.
"We want shopping here. We'll buy silk scarves and other tourists' souvenirs. We were here nine years ago, I saw a change from nine years ago, and without visas, it is much easier for us to travel here," said Petra Gruen, a tourist from Germany.
"Made in China" electronics including mobile phones and computers are also on the shopping lists of foreign visitors.
"Actually, here you can find every technology that you want. You can find a lot of things that you will never imagine. So, I believe that it's really good for the foreigners to come here to Shanghai," said Sergio Rendon, a tourist from Mexico.
Shanghai has seen a significant increase in the number of inbound foreign tourist visits since the entry into effect of the country's latest 240-hour visa-free transit policy at the end of last year. The city received over 1.743 million tourist visits in the first three months of this year, marking a 37.1 percent year-on-year growth, according to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
Currently, China grants unilateral visa-free entry to 38 countries and has extended the transit visa-free period to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries.
China has also introduced a new policy recently that enables foreign visitors to claim departure tax refunds for purchases as low as 200 yuan (about 27.5 U.S. dollars) per day at the same store, significantly reducing the previous threshold of 500 yuan (68.8 U.S. dollars).
As one of the pilot cities for the "buy and refund" departure tax refund policy, Shanghai currently has 587 departure tax refund shops, with 284 offering instant tax refunds.
Int'l tourists commend shopping experiences in Shanghai
International guests who have dedicated their lives to historical truth joined China's 12th national memorial event honoring the hundreds of thousands of victims killed by Japanese troops in the Nanjing Massacre during World War II.
The memorial was held on Saturday at the public square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. China's national flag was flown at half-mast in the presence the crowd that included survivors of the massacre, local students, and international guests.
In one of the most barbaric episodes during WWII, the Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital Nanjing on Dec 13, 1937. Over the course of six weeks, they proceeded to kill approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers.
Joining the crowd was Christoph Reinhardt, the great-grandson of John Rabe (1882-1950) who was then a representative of German conglomerate Siemens in the war-ravaged Nanjing. During the Nanjing Massacre, Rabe set up an international safety zone with other foreigners, and they together saved the lives of around 250,000 Chinese people between 1937 and 1938 from the Japanese invaders.
Throughout the massacre, Rabe continued to keep a diary. To this day, all his pages remain one of the most comprehensive historical records of the atrocities committed by the Japanese aggressors.
Sayoko Yamauchi, who was also in the crowd of mourners, arrived in Nanjing on Friday from Japan's Osaka to attend Saturday's ceremony, just as she has done almost every year since China designated Dec 13 as the National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in 2014.
Yamauchi's grandfather was one of the Japanese soldiers who invaded Nanjing in January 1938. However, since first setting foot in Nanjing in 1987, she has dedicated herself to uncovering and spreading the truth about Japan's history of aggression and enlightening the Japanese public about their country's wartime atrocities.
In 2014, ahead of China's first National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, Yamauchi, along with 10 other individuals, received an award for her special contribution to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
By attending the grand memorial event, Reinhardt and Yamauchi both said they hope to convey a message of remembering history and cherishing peace.
"This is my fifth visit to China, and Nanjing, and the third times I visited the ceremony. I have a wish that these survivors survive again and again and again. But my other wish is that the families of the survivors, that they transport the information, the right intention like their ancestors, because anyone must hold a hand (during) this remembering," Reinhardt told China Central Television (CCTV) in an interview before the event began on Saturday.
"Our delegation is on its 20th visit to China, coming to Nanjing to express our heartfelt condolences to those who perished 88 years ago, to remember this history, and to reflect on what we can do for a new future. That's why we are here," Yamauchi told CCTV on board the bus that took her to a local hotel in Nanjing on Friday evening.
Int'l guests call for remembering history at China's national event honoring Nanjing Massacre victims
