Traveling to the Chinese capital is not to be complicated any more. Now, residents of 53 world countries can visit the Great Wall with six-day visa on arrival. The measures have been introduced by the capital authorities to boost the tourism numbers.
In recent years, the number of trips to China has not been increasing as fast as it could have. Only 14 million foreigners traveled to the country. In contrast, 62 million trips abroad were made by the Chinese residents.
To change that, two years ago, the Chinese government eased the otherwise rigid visa restrictions on travelers in some parts of the country. For example, in the Shanghai metropolis, travelers can be issued a six-day transit visa upon arrival. This was allowed to strengthen the economic power of the region.
Now, the city of Beijing, home to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, has also introduced similar measures. The Chinese capital now welcomes travelers from 53 countries (mainly European Union, United States, Canada, Australia, Russia, Japan etc.) with the possibility to apply for a six-day visa upon arrival at the Beijing Airport, Tianjin Bihai Airport and Shijiazhuang Airport.
This visa includes the nearby port of Tianjing and the adjacent Hebei Province. The latter is notorious for its CO2 emissions from its coal-fired power plants and steel smelters. Nevertheless, China’s government hopes that a new band of tourists will travel to the region during the six days and spend money there.