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Old Sep 28, 2023 | 7:54 pm
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mcjava
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haining (1 hr from Shanghai) China
Programs: DL DM, AA Lifetime Plat, IHG SE
Posts: 1,486
Originally Posted by narvik
(Starting a separate thread for eChannel. I think it's deserved.)

PEK
(September 21, 2023)

They changed everything....
I came in from the right and there are NO eChannels. All gone.
Every immigration station is new. Foreigners are to the right, where eChannels used to be.
Started filling out the arrival card, as I thought eChannels were removed, until I saw the eChannels are now to the LEFT of the whole thing.
eChannel worked flawlessly, and was fast in recognizing passport, face and thumbprint.

They also added many more normal stations in the same location, and also in the area that used to be open, past the main immigration location, and before the escalators down to the train.
Have a feeling they are either:
1) expecting a large influx in arriving passengers, or
2) going to be taking longer for each passenger, so needing more stations

Note:
on exiting China, I sure hope they will get rid of the horrendous security scanning location before the train in the main terminal. That's the worst part of the PEK experience nowadays.

TL;DR
At PEK, the eChannels have moved from the right side to the left side of immigration
I finally realized I can apply for eChannel, so booked a longer layover at CAN on way back from Vietnam to China. No desk there to apply. Asked someone and they said can only do at some office in Pazhou (by the convention center).

Would be nice if this thread can be used for all aspects of eChannel. Coming from Hong Kong to Shenzhen at Huanggang a couple weeks ago, and I was number 6 in the foreigner line.

35 minutes. They looked over passports with a loupe, felt each page, etc. Couldn't believe it. And it was midnight (which was why I couldn't take a minivan to Shenzhen Bay instead).

CAN yesterday was a little slow per person, but nothing like Huanggang or my last entry to Pudong.
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