Recently, travel videos posted by an Irish couple on the social media account "Two Mad Explorers" went viral online. These trending videos relate to the couple's travel stories in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, highlighting their experiences with the high-speed railway, the Southern Song Imperial Street, and classic dishes like sweet lotus root with sticky rice. Their travel experiences reflect the booming Chinese inbound tourism, which has made "China Travel" a buzzword on overseas social media, as more and more international travelers come to explore the time-honored Forbidden City in Beijing, the light-sparkling Bund in Shanghai, the bustling Great Tang All Day Mall in Xi'an, and the world-renowned scenery of Guilin, among others.
Tourists from the United Kingdom and Australia pose for a picture at the Great Tang All Day Mall, in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, October 20, 2024. (People's Daily Online / Shi Jiamin ) According to China's National Immigration Administration, a total of more than 8.18 million inbound trips were made by foreigners in the third quarter of this year, up 48.
8 percent from the same period last year. Of these trips, 4.88 million were made visa-free, representing a year-on-year increase of 78.
6 percent. The international tourists flocking to explore China's cultural heritage, magnificent landscapes, and dynamic urban development have demonstrated China's continuous efforts to promote opening up. What makes "China Travel" such a.