Xinhua News Agency reporters Ren Jun, Wu Yu and You Zhixin

When "China Travel" encounters the first Chinese Spring Festival after the successful application, feel the Chinese New Year flavor, "circle" Chinese New Year goods, experience "silky" payment... Foreign tourists are enthusiastic about coming to China.

According to the latest data released by the People's Bank of China, during the Spring Festival holiday of the Year of the Snake (January 28 to February 4), the number of payment transactions processed by UnionPay and NetPay increased by 124.54% and the transaction amount increased by 90.49% over the Spring Festival holiday last year.

　　The "visa-free circle of friends" expands, and falls in love with the "Intangible cultural Heritage" Chinese Year

Go to temple fairs, lantern fairs, wear Hanfu, watch performances, eat food... During the Spring Festival, in China's streets, alleys, tourist attractions, there are often "foreign faces" to play "clock in".

In Shanghai Yu Garden, German girl Carla Uhlmacher not only felt the charm of Jiangnan and the strong flavor of the New Year, but also bought the favorite New Year crafts to bring back the blessing of the Chinese Spring Festival to her friends. "Shopping in Shanghai is very convenient, whether it is by using Visa, mastercard and other wild cards, or mobile payment." "She said.

The expanding range of visa-free countries and the new 240-hour transit visa-free policy attract more foreign friends to experience the Chinese New Year. Data from third-party platforms show that the number of foreign tourists visiting China for the Spring Festival this year has increased by 150% compared with 2024, hitting a new high.

Alipay data show that in addition to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other inbound tourism has been popular destinations, Suzhou, Xi 'an, Chengdu, Xiamen and other places have also become the most popular cities for inbound tourists to use Alipay for in-depth travel and consumption during the Spring Festival.

　　Service upgrade, consumer payment is not "outside" -

Feeding seagulls on the trestle bridge, taking a cruise to see the sea view, watching lanterns on the "intangible cultural heritage collection", drinking Qingdao beer... During the Spring Festival this year, many foreign tourists came to Qingdao to celebrate the New Year, and Qingdao's inbound tourism orders increased by 108% year-on-year.

Still worried about "payment difficulties"? The experience is getting better and better.

"You can have fun on the streets of Qingdao with a local e-wallet without having to exchange cash." Park Huizhen, a South Korean tourist who punched a card on Zhongshan Road, said the payment was too convenient.

In recent years, measures to facilitate the payment of foreign nationals in China have been intensively introduced, constantly reshaping the inbound consumption scene: on the one hand, the "wild card binding" is promoted, and overseas bank cards can be tied to Alipay and wechat Pay for consumption in domestic merchants; On the other hand, it supports "outsourcing for internal use", and more and more overseas e-wallets can be used in China.

The reporter learned that at present, Alipay supports 13 overseas wallets for "outsourcing and internal use", from 10 countries and regions such as the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.

Policy "break the wall", service upgrade. All parties continue to open up the blocked points of mobile payment: improve the efficiency of tying overseas bank cards, optimize identity verification arrangements, and increase the single transaction limit and annual cumulative transaction limit of mobile payment...

In order to adapt to the cash payment habits of foreigners, nearly 70,000 bank outlets, nearly 5,000 foreign currency exchange facilities and nearly 320,000 ATMs across the country can provide RMB exchange services.

　High consumption, "circle powder" Chinese New Year goods -

Buy tea in Qianmen Street, buy rabbit in Yangmei Zhuxie Street, buy domestic fashion clothes in major shopping centers... Many Beijing stores reflect that during the Spring Festival holiday, foreign consumers have increased significantly compared with the Spring Festival last year.

Ulrike, from Germany, is spending the New Year in Beijing with her son Emil, who is studying in China. "We visited the market in Shichahai, tasted authentic Chinese food and bought our favorite Spring Festival gifts." Ulrike said that many shops can communicate in English, and mobile payment is very convenient.

Data from wechat Pay and Alipay confirm the enthusiasm of foreign tourists to "buy and buy" : During the Spring Festival, the number of purchases made by inbound tourists through wechat Pay increased by 134% compared with the Spring Festival holiday last year. In the first five days of the holiday, inbound tourists spent 1.5 times more on Alipay than during the Spring Festival holiday last year.

The Chinese Year is becoming the "World Year". From the beauty of Oriental traditional festivals, to the enjoyment of consumer payment is not "outside", the open China, let the world more and more love!