Preah Sihanouk, Cambodia

Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Open Their Doors to Tourists

China has revived its tourism industry after three years of implementing the zero-Covid policy. On January 8, 2023, China lifted quarantine requirements for foreigners traveling to the country for business or family visits. The country recently announced it would reopen its borders to tourists and resume issuing all visas on 15 March 2023.

In recent weeks, travel across China’s land borders has strongly rebounded. Sharing a border with Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam, Yunnan is home to many border cities that were once under strict management to prevent cross-border Covid-19 transmissions. The Lao Cai – Hekou border is now open for ordinary passport or border resident pass holders to travel between the two sides from 7 am to 10 pm daily. The resumption of travel is expected to boost regional trade and tourism between Vietnam and China. Meanwhile, Ruili Port, the largest land port between China and Myanmar, has also fully resumed operations for passengers. Additionally, the 1,035km China-Laos Railway connecting Yunnan’s capital, Kunming, to Vientiane, Lao PDR, enhanced tourist traffic, especially during the Spring Festival holiday.

The Spring Festival travel rush accelerated domestic tourism in Yunnan and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Tourism in southwest China, specifically Yunnan Province, witnessed a remarkable surge in January. More than 45 million trips were reported by the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, representing year-on-year growth of 245% and generating more than 38.4 billion yuan (approximately $5.7 billion) in revenue, 32% more than the same period in 2019. During this holiday, Weizhou Island, the youngest volcanic island in China, attracted a large number of tourists and remains a popular tourist destination in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. 

A night market in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province bustles with tourists during the Spring Festival holiday. Photo by CGTN.

Meanwhile, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang are making great efforts to improve travel connectivity between regions, fostering stronger domestic tourism post-Covid-19. Traveling to Yunnan will be even easier after the panoramic tourist train in Lijiang, a popular ancient city in the province, is completed. The train, called “Mirror of the Sky”, will connect Lijiang and the famous Yulong Snow Mountain. Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang region, is also carrying out several new infrastructure projects that will facilitate tourist access, such as the new Nanning – Chongzuo, and Mitreya-Mengzi high-speed lines. Once completed, the travel time between these locations will be reduced by 67%. The new lines are also expected to connect southwest China and ASEAN Free Trade Area countries and provide new opportunities for tourism development.

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region particularly focuses on revitalizing rural tourism and promoting its unique cultures across many villages. The Dzhai village in the region was named one of the “Best Tourism Villages 2022” by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO). The village has successfully incorporated tourism with industrial development and generated 528 million yuan (approximately 76 million USD) in tourism revenue in 2021. The region is also well-known for a series of winter sports and entertainment events in celebration of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. The celebratory events will be held in late March, promising participation from tourists across the country. 

From the border re-opening to the launches of new infrastructure projects and tourism routes, there is much to look forward to for travelers planning a trip to Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang. Strengthening connectivity across these regions also makes getting around easy for both domestic and international tourists.

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