^Yes, that's correct. As of 30/08, no testing required anymore.

Yay!:tu::tu::tu:

Just an anecdote as i dropped off my visa application this morning : Foreign travel to China is still alive and well, at least from Germany.

No difficulty getting an appointment online, but definitely you have to queue a bit once you get there as there were a lot of people there for visa purposes.(business/leisure/other). So to say "no one wants to go there" isn't true, certainly not in Germany.

The visa centre was heaving when I went recently and appointments had a two week lead time. Fortunately, got a 10 year one this time!

The form was marginally easier than previous years but still by far the most intrusive and frustrating application form

I was sure it meant no more QR code……. I was very wrong. Just crossed Shenzhen Bay to Hong Kong by car today and still had to do the QR code. It was meaningless before and now it is more meaningless

Gosh ... still need that bloody QR code ...

I mean, if you do it through the WeChat mini-program and have done it before, it's pretty fast, as most of the info is pre-loaded from the last time.
60 seconds to fill it out, maybe?

My theory from the get go has been that the health code system is here to stay, but as a means to replace the paper entry/exit forms.

​​​​​​

But they still ask you for the entry form...

I meant that I think this is the direction they're heading. At present, the electronic system is still just a health declaration tmk.

It finally dawned on me that they have all these belt-and-suspenders checks to keep staff in line. Same with all those repetitive checks boarding an aircraft.

The entry form belongs to the NIA which is part of the Ministry of Public Security. The customs declaration belongs to China Customs which is sits at the same level as the MPS, both governed directly by the State Council. Bureaucracies always love a turf war.

Just like with everything in hierarchical China, you have the frontline staff, then you have the checkers to keep them in line, then you have the checkers that keep the checkers in line, and then you have the checkers that keep the checkers that keep the checkers that keep the frontline staff in line. Above all you have the cameras watching (and black boxes recording) in case anything goes wrong.

That's how it works pretty much in every organization (to an extent). For transport, that's how it works everywhere (local subways and buses, national railway, airports, Chinese airlines, etc.).

You're comparing N. Korea with China not allowing group package tours to many western countries?

As if N,. Korea would allow US package tours.

Hard to embrace tourism now, I arrived SH on the 19th, Luv the original overwhelming hotel staffing service for lounge and meals.
But, after reading the 'Level 3' country warning notes on the STEP site from the embassy. I will be LOW profile. (Difficult when 6' 5' and blond hair !)

Just returned from my trip to China. The support for credit cards in Wechat and Alipay is definitely a good step. However, there are too many things that require local phone number, such as calling didi, accessing wifi. Also in Beijing, all the top attractions requires advanced reservation, for locals, it's relatively simple and can be done in Wechat but for foreigners it means making a phone reservation the day before, which is very inconvenient. I did not want to jump through the hoops just to visit Jingshan park.

Does Beihai Park also require advance reservations? I almost always choose it instead of Jingshan Park. While it lacks the amazing view of the Forbidden City, its lake and size more than make up for this.

Is it impossible for foreigners to use Wechat to reserve park admission because the mini-app only accepts Chinese IDs, or is it just difficult because it's Chinese language only?

Yes, and the following parks require reservation 颐和园、天坛公园、北海公园、中山公园、景山公园、香山公园、北京动物园、陶然亭公园、玉渊潭公园和国家植 物园 as well as Tianmen Square, there were checkpoints where they check your ID, but you can ride bike in front of the square as a work around.

Correct, the mini app only accepts Chinese IDs.

If the app only accepts Chinese IDs, you should be able to just show up with your passport. Even if that wasn't possible, they'd at least be able to point you in the right direction. This was my experience visiting Beijing in 2021 when appointments were very rigorous because of the pandemic.

I remember only 7 or 8 years ago just rocking up to Jingshan Park and buying a paper ticket to get in on the spot. I certainly can’t imagine it is so crowded now that they can’t do day of sales from ticket booths. It’s a real hassle now for foreign tourists.

I went to Pingyao Ancient City a few weekends ago and I think I was the only foreigner in the entire city. They also required a ticket that was entirely app based with no possibility to buy a physical ticket. Also needed to have your ticket QR code scanned to enter into any of the famous buildings there. I can imagine having to use apps and wechat/Alipay for everything is a real turnoff for foreigners in China for only a short tourist visit.

Well, at least it appears that Chaoyang Park, one of my favorites, has been spared from your list.

Earlier this year, whenever I'd grab a bite (from a restaurant or street stall), I'd first confirm if cash could be used. Legally, everyone has to accept it ... but that's not things tend to work. If I couldn't speak Chinese, it wouldn't at all be worth the hassle.

Hotels and train ticket purchases were made very easy with trip.com, but food and attractions are another story.

The app BS is certainly not a way to entice foreign visitors back to one's country (especially after years of first shunning them).

I could see them taking more drastic measures in making it easier for foreigners...at one point in the future. But it will take a while for the realization to sink in that it's just not very easy right now.
There have been some baby steps in the right direction, but I doubt any of those will have any impact whatsoever.

update
 

Ok, been here for 4 weeks now, after being gone for nearly 4 years. I'll keep my cryptic comments to Omni posts.
The biggest struggles are the tech variability and lack of ability to use 'some' credit cards. (Forget your Amex) The large country events has people busy. The 2-week Asian games in HZ were a tourist success, partly due to the timing during the 8-day Golden week. In country total travel was up 70-85% of the 2019 travel level, but holiday train travel was probably double/triple some routes. I'm in Bj this week, and the BRI conference has attracted some international folks (lots of diversity). The BRI white paper was released in English on oct 10th, it's a long, interesting read.
Variability on apps, yes FB + Gogl are blocked at almost all hotels, but IG is never blocked, go figure. ESPN & CNBC are also never blocked at most hotels that offer free public Wi-Fi. LI is always blocked, even on my cheap VPN.
As i can't afford those luxury Aple I phones, i use 3 Motorola models. One old 4G with my china mobile # and a separate we-chat. Also 2 moto 5G phones, one with my US ATT and the other 5G with my Latin chip removed thus it's a hotel wifi only with a separate WeChat & WhatsApp, always a guess on the different apps with these...especially on location maps!.
Updates from Beidaihe and Sanya next month.

takeaway after a month; IMO, two words describe local folk's mind set towards western tourists. prejudicial and residual. , I know strong cryptic comments need to go on Omni..

I sent you a PM that will address most your tech-related issues. I only mention the PM here because if you're like me, you might not notice it until months later.

Since I don't have an active Amex account at present, I have not tried to add one to wx, but both Visa and MC work pretty much everywhere (e.g. even hole in the wall places) now; previously, it was limited to big vendors like Didi and China Mobile.

Pardon?

On most occasions, I absolutely did not find that places accepted my U.S. credit cards. Granted, I didn't roll in Shanghai (or Beijing:/), but I pretty much wandered each day knowing that the first utterance to a shopkeep had to be "will you accept cash?" (Yes, I know they legally have to, but it's not always an argument worth the time.)

As mentioned up-thread (or in the WeChat thread), trip.com made seamless hotel and train ticket purchases (using U.S. credit cards).

Nevertheless, save for the QR code annoyances and silent e-bikes trying to bowl sidewalk strikes, China was -- and I reckon will continue to be -- a joy to visit.

Foreign card acceptance is one of the main recent (i.e. post Ap Tour Pass) subtopics in the Wx/Ap thread.

How were you able to maintain your CM # while you were away for four years? Which plan do you have?

I can finally go cashless with AP/WX tied to my Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Moondog wasn't talking about VISA/MC per se, but only in the context of Alipay/WeChat. I just finished a two week trip in China, and was pleasantly surprised to find that WeChat + MasterCard was accepted almost everywhere. The one exception (where WeChat required the use of the cash balance, of which I have zero) had an Alipay code that worked with MasterCard.

One caveat, I was actually using WeChat Pay HK so things might be slightly different with WeChat but I expect the MasterCard acceptance to be similar with the latter.

Ah, I'm up to speed now. It wasn't clear -- in this thread, anyway -- that you meant cc usage through QR codes.

In any event, I'm curious if you've found regular credit card swipes to be extremely rare in Shanghai. Certainly, western chain hotels would take them, but how about upscale restaurants, or even French Concession cafés?

reply
 

-I really hate both my Amex cards when here, but have 3 Chase cards that all work good. (Actually, same Amex problems when in Costa Rica on Pacific fishing trips)
we will see what happens in rural areas next weekend , I'm in Beidaihe at the new marriott resort on the ocean.

I do actual swipes very rarely. Based on my understanding, the QR codes are more secure and smaller merchants don't have POS machines, so it's an easy decision. I believe contactless CC transactions are more secure than both; these aren't super common yet here.

Contactless UnionPay is relatively common, I sometimes did that a few years back when banks were doing CC promotions. Contactless VISA/MasterCard is obviously less common, just because VISA/Mastercard themselves are less common.

The only use I get out of my ICBC contactless visa and Union pay cards is when I’m overseas. I haven’t seen any contactless readers in China but I wouldn’t think to look since I’d never consider using a card.

Even crappy old POS machines seem to support contactless 5 years ago, the reader is usually near the top of the machine where the dispaly is:

https://www.wansudu.com/Uploads/imag...6307531184.jpg
But yeah I haven't seen a contactless promotion in years so there's not much point in using it these days.

Just venting.....
 

Day 7 of my trip on the mainland (11 if you include my time in Taiwan).....

A few foreign tourists are back, but still not many. Outside Beijing, a little frustrated by the lack of any English subtitles. I know China has such a large domestic tourism market it doesn't feel the "need" to accomodate others, but it just makes things frustrating for those who have already taken steps to adjust to the local way of doing things.

The worst example that repeatedly comes up is the necessity of booking museum and exhibition visits online using WeChat or any local appli. Scanning the required QR code takes you to that site's Wechat page, and then you have to follow a variety of steps like enter your ID, name, book a slot, etc.... all in Chinese. Most places have gotten rid of ticket counters, so that's the only way of getting entry. Then of course, once you get in, everything also uniquely in Chinese.

Then there was the long distance train station. I could only find my quai/platform based on train n° and departure time, as the train destination was displayed only in Chinese.

Many restaurants have you order and pay all online using Weixin/Alipay only. Great......the prompts are only in chinese. I'm blindly clicking on what I think are right buttons to make and pay for my food order. It could very well be "empty your linked credit card" and I wouldn't know.

Personally, I have a notable advantage in being able to speak mandarin to sometimes resolve issues, although thesedays, I've also felt really lost at times due to dialect differences (family from Taiwan and zéro prior exposure to the mainland). And of course, I'm blind cuz I can't read more than probably 10 words. I don't know if it's asking for a name, passport n°, telephone.......

Again, issues aren't unique to China ; I could see someone from here going to say, Europe or the US and having similar issues. But here there's often no fallback option and to welcome foreign tourists at attractions, you gotta have a 2nd language option and things that don't rely on technology that is unique to the local market.

WhatsApp messaging partially works (more on that later; messages and voice calls only, no média), but I have no idea what is with the lag/delay in sending receiving messages.

I think you just get used to it, and adapt via helpful translation apps (Instant Translator, etc.).
Know what you mean, but it doesn't bother me anymore. I manage to get pretty much anything done that needs doing, without speaking or reading Chinese.

Not very short-term tourist friendly though, I agree there.

My dad, who's never been to the mainland, always says "just use Google Lens, it translates !"

"FOR THE TENTH TIME, GOOGLE SERVICES DON'T WORK HERE !" :rolleyes:

In all seriousness though, being of chinese origin, I take it personally hard on myself when I cannot understand something here, which is why i'd like a crutch to avoid the embarassment of asking "could you click/say it to me ? Can't read it....."

Most Google apps, including Lens, work in China, but for stuff like maps, you need to be okay with 5 year old data and ~1000 meter offsets.

Lots of Chinese apps, even WeChat, for example, do a great job at OCR + translation.