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Alyssa Chen

China said it would allow tour groups from Asean countries to visit Xishuangbanna – an area in the southwestern province of Yunnan known for its ethnic minority cultures – without a visa for up to six days.
The policy, announced by the National Immigration Administration on Monday, took effect immediately.
The new measure applies to groups of two or more passport holders from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The bloc’s members are Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
To take advantage of the visa-free policy, the groups must travel with a Chinese travel agency. The tour group members must also enter and leave China together.
Located in southern Yunnan and bordering Laos and Myanmar, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture is one of China’s top attractions for both domestic and foreign visitors.
It is known for its lush tropical rainforests and rich cultural diversity, particularly the vibrant traditions of the Dai ethnic group, whose culture is closely related to that of Thai people. The area is also home to distinctive temples and a range of ecotourism activities.
The new measure is intended to help build Yunnan into a hub for Chinese exchanges with South and Southeast Asia, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“[The policy] plays a pivotal role in driving the development of the tourism industry in the southwestern region, facilitating interpersonal exchanges between China and foreign nations, and aiding in the deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Asean,” the immigration administration told CCTV.
Under the policy, foreign visitors may enter the prefecture via Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan Railway Port or Mohan Highway Port.
During their travels, visa-free Asean visitors must stay within Xishuangbanna prefecture, which includes the city of Jinghong, Menghai county and Mengla county.

It is not China’s first policy to encourage more tourism from Asean countries.
In March 2023, China resumed a policy allowing Southeast Asian visitors to visit the southern city of Guilin without a visa for up to six days. The policy was introduced in 2015 but was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. Guilin, located in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is famous for its striking karst landscape.
China also has mutual visa-free arrangements with individual countries in the region including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Since reopening its borders in 2023, China has been working to attract more foreign tourists and investors as part of its post-pandemic economic recovery strategy and to repair its global reputation, which was affected by its stringent zero-Covid measures.
In another push to attract foreign visitors, China announced in December that travellers from over 50 countries could visit certain areas of the mainland without a visa for up to 10 days when transiting via one of its 60 international ports.
Data published by the immigration administration in January showed visa-free entries to China surged to 20.1 million in 2024, marking a 112.3 per cent increase from the previous year.
In total, China recorded 610 million inbound and outbound trips in 2024. About 65 million of those were made by foreign visitors, an 83 per cent increase from the previous year.
Despite these gains, travel figures have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, there were 670 million trips, including nearly 98 million by foreign visitors.


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Tourists from Southeast Asian bloc countries may visit Xishuangbanna – known for ethnic minority cultures – for up to six days


Tourists from Southeast Asian bloc countries may visit Xishuangbanna – known for ethnic minority cultures – for up to six days.


China grants Asean tour groups visa-free access to Yunnan travel hub

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Tourists from Southeast Asian bloc countries may visit Xishuangbanna – known for ethnic minority cultures – for up to six days

Tourists from Southeast Asian bloc countries may visit Xishuangbanna – known for ethnic minority cultures – for up to six days