BEIJING - The Chinese mainland recorded over 150 million inbound visits in 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of over 17 percent, when the spending of inbound travelers surpassed US$130 billion, Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli said this morning.
Visa-free entries by foreigners exceeded 30 million, Sun told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).
The country has made significant strides in facilitating mobile payments for international visitors. In 2025, inbound tourists spent about 80 billion yuan (US$11.6 billion) via mobile payment platforms, Sun said.
Sun noted that the phrase "becoming Chinese" had been a trending social media topic, with many foreigners keen to experience life in China.
Popular activities include traveling by high-speed train, watching drone displays, and trying traditional Chinese medicine massages. Wearing Hanfu attire and eating hotpot dishes have also become "must-try" experiences for many international visitors, he added.
- Xinhua, MPD
Caption: Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli adresses a press conference for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on people's livelihood in Beijing yesterday. - Xinhua
Caption: Foreign tourists and staff members pose for photos on K7041, a train themed on northeast China's folk culture, in Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 19, 2026. Recently, tourists from Southeast Asian countries have been flocking to Harbin, hailed as China's "Ice City". - Xinhua
