User profile: Xiefei

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Forums > Living in Kunming > visa situation

> what is the story with no more visa extensions for tourist visas?

Some foreigners were denied 30 day extensions last week, and were told they didn't show sufficient evidence there weren't flights to their home country.

Since then, other foreigners have been granted 30 day extensions. Not sure exactly what's going on here, but they have apparently not stopped issuing the extensions altogether.

> will 10 year visas still be valid?

If you're currently outside the country with a 10 year visa, it will be valid once the borders fully reopen to tourists, but it won't get you into China right now.

> where can we find the official government policy?

Good question. There have been official announcements about no longer being able to enter China with a visa issued before March 28, and about the blanket 60 day extension granted to most people, but there has been no national policy announcement about visas since.

Note that every province and municipality has the power to grant extensions and interpret the rules, so you'll see different situations around the country.

>

are visa runs still possible?

No. Most of the borders are effectively closed or greatly restricted, and people on tourist and other short term visas are not being let into China. This is why people with multi-year tourist visas are suddenly needing to apply for 30 day extensions.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Is somebody important coming to Kunming?

Three things are going on right now to make this the perfect storm of road work and beautification projects:

- Economic stimulus, with tons of funds being released to get ordinary workers back to work and spending money.

- The Civilized City campaign: Kunming has tried, and failed, to earn the Civilized City designation several times now.

- COP 15, the UN summit on biodiversity. Was slated for this October, but postponed due to COVID. Currently scheduled for next May. Multiple heads of state are expected to attend.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Chinese reopening border for foreigners?

As per this announcement from the Chinese Embassy in Denmark:
www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/cedk/eng/cs/t1805331.htm

European nationals with a valid residence permit (for work and certain other purposes) will now be allowed to apply for a new visa to re-enter China. They will still be subject to COVID testing and quarantine requirements.

Those whose residence permits have recently expired are not covered by this announcement as of yet.

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Forums > Study > Student Visas No Longer Provided

@Mildred: not really adding much to the conversation there...

I haven't found any official notice, but I've been told by a few sources that the government is planning to overhaul the student visa system, and has suspended all new non-degree student visas until the new rules can be finalized.

Hopefully those who wish to continue studies can hold out on the temporary stay extensions until this is resolved.

It's quite likely that a lot of programs and private schools will lose their ability to sponsor visas, though. A lot of schools are holding their breath right now.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Proof that we can't leave

@riiupw

It's not the front desk clerks making things up. They have the authentication requirements because the local PSBs can't be trusted to recognize the authenticity of documents from a hundred countries with different bureaucratic systems around the world. The goal is to get a stamp on it that they themselves can check.

The last time I had to go through all this, I had documents authenticated by my home state, with the Secretary of State's signature and seal verified by the Chinese consulate covering that region (they have these on file for the states in their consular district), and the local PSB clerks could easily identify the consulate's seal.

All of this would be much easier if China just signed up for the apostille system, but the clerks at the Kunming PSB have no say in the matter.

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Great stuff. Keep it coming.
Here are a few suggestions/requests for future cooking posts:
- su hongdou (crispy red beans n kale)
- kao qiezi (roast eggplant, shaokao style)
- erkuai ji (chicken w/ erkuai)

It's great to see, after all these years of talk, that environmental policy might be starting to grow some teeth.
I've also read that a lot of Beijingers and city govt leaders are looking at how they can keep up the environmental improvements they made during the Olympics. Some good came out of those games after all.

There is actually one last segment of the wall still intact. It stretches along the back of the restaurants in wenhua xiang that abut the Yunda foreign students dorm. The wall can be seen from some of those dorm rooms, and was visible from the street a few years ago when many of those restaurants were rebuilt.

Good stuff. Too many people keep trying to tell me that this building is the old French legation. I've even seen it written in the guide books

Reviews

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Right next to my office, so I eat here pretty often. The place has a nice garden design with lots of outdoor seating for nice days.

A nice menu of Western food with solid brunch choices, fresh fruit juice mixes, and good salads. The burger is also very good.

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Excellent Thai food served in a beautiful art deco setting. The bar is also top notch, with great cocktails, whiskys and cigars.

When the weather is good, try to get a table on the rooftop garden, which offers views of the Bird and Flower market.

May be a little pricier than some of the other Thai restaurants in town.

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An exciting new gallery space built from an old factory warehouse in the Paoluda Creative Industry Park. Looking forward to seeing what they'll do with it.

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A great little place in the middle of a beautiful valley chock full of great climbing spots.

The beds and rooms are very comfortable, though the bathrooms are shared, and of the "eco" variety (a plus as far as I'm concerned).

The owners are very helpful about everything from info on climbing spots to trip planning and getting around the area.

Also, the place is dirt cheap. I wholeheartedly recommend it.