China's National Day Holiday Draws Global Tourists

A report from Xinhua Oct. 8th, 2025：

On Oct 1, the first day of China's eight-day National Day holiday, 70-year-old Nikolayev crossed the border into Manzhouli, a border city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

"This is my birthday gift to myself," said the Russian traveler, beaming as he waved his passport freshly stamped with an entry seal.

Fascinated by China since childhood, Nikolayev had long dreamed of visiting the neighboring country. When he learned about China's latest visa-free travel policy for Russian citizens last month, he decided to celebrate his 70th birthday in China, arriving just in time for China's National Day.

"I wanted to see my neighbor with my own eyes," he said. "The visa-free policy made it the perfect moment."

According to China's National Immigration Administration (NIA), tourists of 76 countries now enjoy unilateral or mutual visa-free entry, with transit exemptions expanded to 55 countries. Citizens of 55 countries, including the United States and Canada, can visit China visa-free for up to 10 days in transit, before traveling to a third destination.

China is expected to record an average of 2 million daily border crossings during the eight-day National Day holiday, which overlaps with the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, according to the NIA.