AT bustling hotpot chain restaurants Haidilao in Shanghai, groups of tourists from the Republic of Korea (ROK) could recently be found excitedly discussing their plans for the weekend while dipping slices of beef into pots. “I’ve seen a lot about Shanghai on social media from celebrities and influencers recently. It was so interesting to see customers and employees dancing together at the Haidilao hotpot restaurant,” said Choi Ji-yoon from the ROK. “It is only a two-hour flight for me to visit Shanghai, so why not come?” Over 100 flights to Shanghai depart from Seoul and Tokyo each weekend, bringing an influx of travelers seeking visa-free getaways in the Chinese metropolis to explore its food, attractions and culture. After China extended its visa-free entry policy in November 2024, ordinary passport holders from 38 countries, including the ROK and Japan, can enter China for business, tourism, family visit, exchange or transit purposes for a maximum of 30 days without applying for a visa currently. From November to around the end of December last year, 363,000 tourists from the ROK and Japan arrived in or departed from two international airports in Shanghai, according to the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection. The figure was an increase of more than 20% from the total of September and October. Riding the “China Travel” wave, which has gained massive traction since last year, many scenic areas in Shanghai have gone viral on global social media platforms. Many travelers like Choi are eager to check off items on their to-do lists: walking along Nanjing Road in downtown Shanghai to experience its blend of tradition and modernity, exploring representative Chinese artifacts such as bronze, pottery and jade pieces in the Shanghai Museum, sipping tea or coffee in the landmark Xintiandi entertainment area, or strolling around the Bund to capture pictures of the famous Shanghai skyline at night. Just five hours after arriving in Shanghai, Korean tourist Lee Won-jun linked his credit card to the Alipay app and started navigating the city using Didi Chuxing, a popular ride-hailing service in China. “These Chinese apps are convenient and I have learned their functions. I can not wait to explore the city’s charm,” Lee said. As a hub and gateway of opening-up, Shanghai has also seen its services sector provide tailored services for international tourists. With increasing numbers of travelers arriving from the ROK, many Haidilao restaurants in Shanghai have arranged for their waitstaff to learn basic Korean phrases. “During the weekends, we receive about 1,400 customers, nearly a third of whom are from the ROK,” said Hu Xiaozheng, the manager of a Haidilao restaurant in Shanghai’s downtown area. “We provide our guests from the ROK with scissors, which they use to cut food, as well as ice cubes and spoons, to enhance their dining experience,” Hu said. The visa-free travel policy is also favorable for long-term residents in China. Haruna Inoue, a Japanese student, said that her mother spent a weekend with her lately in Shanghai, and that she plans to invite more of her Japanese friends to visit China. “My mom said Shanghai is so convenient and considerate for foreigners, and she would love to visit it again,” Inoue said. Cai Hong, a professor at the business administration college at the Capital University of Economics and Business, noted that China’s visa-free travel policy has a strong correlation with the surge in tourists from the ROK and Japan, as the three countries are neighbors geographically and share similar cultures. With more flights and improvements in infrastructure and services, China-Japan-ROK weekend tourism is becoming a new trend, Cai said. (Xinhua) | 