The year was and I was two months into my big round-the-world adventure. After easing into the backpacker lifestyle with a jaunt around Eastern Europe, it was time to start challenging myself. It was finally time for me to head to Asia. I distinctly remember loading up HostelWorld a week before my flight to Shanghai, sorting the accommodation options by lowest price to highest, then promptly gaping at my screen in awe.
This country was seriously inexpensive while offering so much value for money. But what about China in ? What about China post-pandemic? Regardless of when you do end up visiting, however, know that travel in China takes some planning. In the past, the Chinese tourist visa was the stuff of horror stories.
I found it so complicated that I actually ended up paying iVisa to apply for the visa for me. China is gradually loosening these strict requirements, however, and as of early, is making it far easier to visit as a tourist. For starters, citizens of many countries are now able to visit the country for two weeks without needing to apply for a visa many Western Europeans, along with Australians and Kiwis qualify for this. For everyone else, the application process has been made much easier and the expensive visa has come down in price.
And yes, these are the discounted prices! One final thing to keep in mind is that China offers a free hour so, six days transit visa for almost every nationality. If you only want to visit one city or plan on taking an extended layover, this is the easiest option!
I recently tried out the hour visa and it was super-easy! The first thing you need to know is that China is predominantly a cashless society. Like much of the world in , this is yet another country where people will be baffled if you attempt to hand them a banknote. I had absolutely zero issues setting mine up and it worked flawlessly while I was in the country. Paying for something is simple. Using Alipay was quite a daunting process at first, but I came to love its ease of use.
