Historical sites in Beijing, especially landmarks along the city's central axis, have seen a significant rise in foreign visitors since China further relaxed its visa-free transit policy in December.

Last November, China further expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from nine additional countries. Since it was first implemented two years ago, this pilot policy has now been applied to a total of 38 countries.

Moreover, the National Immigration Administration has introduced more than 100 measures to streamline the entry process for foreign visitors. These include optimizing visa-free policies, transit visa regulations and port visa procedures, which have made traveling to China much easier and boosted international exchanges.

Murali Reddy (left) and his family from New Zealand at the entrance to the Temple of Heaven Park in Dongcheng district, Beijing, Jan. 7, 2025. [Photo by Yan Bin/China.org.cn]

"This is the first time my family travel to China. The visa-free policy has truly made it extremely convenient for us to spend our vacation here. We are deeply impressed by the ancient buildings in Beijing," said New Zealand tourist Murali Reddy after viewing the city's Temple of Heaven.

"This is the first time me and my friend have come to China," said Alberto Coelho Pereira from Brazil. He obtained a 240-hour transit visa in Beijing upon landing in the city. "We have nearly 20 days of vacation. The relaxed visa policies enable us to stay in China for 10 days before moving on to other countries," he said. "This is a great opportunity for us to get to know Beijing and China." Pereira added that he plans to visit the Great Wall next during his trip.

The visa-free policy is a major move to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and advance high-standard opening up. From January to November 2024, over 29 million foreigners entered China, an increase of 86% year on year. Of these, more than 17 million entered using visa-free entry, a rise of 123% year on year. Meanwhile, the number of inbound tourists under the 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy increased by 132% compared with last year.

Shaye Mulhall from Australia at the Temple of Heaven in Dongcheng district, Beijing, Jan. 7, 2025. [Photo by Yan Bin/China.org.cn]

"I was invited by my Chinese friends in Australia to come and travel in China and experience my first traditional Spring Festival here," tourist Shaye Mulhall told China.org.cn. Mulhall spent the first two days of his vacation in Tianjin and then came to Beijing for sightseeing. "It was so grand to see the fantastic ancient buildings along the central axis," he said, referring to his visit to the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven.

According to the 2024 Beijing Tourism Consumption Report, released recently by travel platform LY.com, Beijing maintained its position as the top inbound tourism destination in China. In addition, the Beijing Central Axis has remained a must-visit attraction since it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July last year.

To enhance its role as an international exchange center, the Beijing Central Axis will open more heritage spaces to the public, according to the site's office for cultural heritage application and protection. In addition, various heritage sites along the central axis will stage an array of cultural activities and performances including dragon and lion dances, cultural heritage protection walking tour, and flower fairs during the Spring Festival holiday to help both domestic and international tourists explore Beijing's culture and further enhance its tourism offerings.