"Foreign APEC holders and foreign students with valid residence permits can enter China without applying for new visas.
Effective from August 24, 2022, foreigners who hold a valid APEC card to conduct business in China and foreign students with a valid residence permit for study purposes can enter China without applying for a new visa, as per the announcement of the Chinese embassies in various countries. In addition, China will also resume accepting Study X1-Visa applications from foreigners applying to study in China for more than 180 days. Please consult the respective embassy website of
Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Qatar, Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Montenegro, Malta, Algeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Liberia, Zambia, Tanzania, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Brazil for further clarification. The Chinese embassy in India has also updated the “Application Procedures and Material Requirements of China Visa”, to be implemented starting August 24, 2022."
Friendly update: Kunming is quietly experiencing a hush hush outbreak. At least four residential communities I know of are under strict lockdown guarded by 大白. "Dabai" is the nickname affectionately given to medical staff in white hazmat suit. TCM are also handed out to residents to consume vonluntarily.
Last night, Tongde Kunming Plaza (TKP is situated at the intersection of Beijing Road and Baiyun Road) was locked down. The MRT Line 2 station (forgot the name) underneath TKP is now closed off.
Update. Major Kunming parks mentioned above (e.g. the Zoo, Daguan Park, Black Dragon Pool, Golden Temple, etc.) are slated to waive admission fees starting October 1st. The lifting of entrance fees may last indefinitely, like Green Lake.
This WJS report reveals China's BRI plan to connect SE Asia via this railway. Journalists Nikki Walker and Todd Holmes obviously didn't travel to the border SEZ themselves. This area has been a ghost town with stalled development projects for several years, but may slowly pickup in the future if one is cautiously optimistic.
Actual Himalayan mountain range can be seen in Northwestern Yunnan in volcanic, natural hot-spring cities such as Tengchong. Despite being tail-end, they are still massive.
Nice to see the return of travel blog pieces on this site.
Moon and Chalice boutique hotel has turned into a must-visit "打卡" (punch-in time slot) destination for selfie taking tourists who come to Kunming in the past couple of years.
After years of closure due to covid, one of Dali's biggest san yue jie festival is officially back in full force, from May 4 and ending May 10. Highest local officials have attended the festivities.
For those travelling by train to Dali, the Dali station is under complete renovations. No. 8 bus (3 yuan) to old town is across the street.
Hai dong train station (aka North Station) will be built in five years and slated to be the biggest train station in Dali.
For a limited time until June 26, 2022, the 66th top floor observatory will be open to public for free. Visiting hours: 14:00 - 21:00, weekends and holidays. One of the best breathtaking views of the cityscape. Great for family. Below the skyscraper is intersection of MRT Line 3 (pink) with Line 2/1.
For those following the tragic saga of the baby calf elephant (born at Kunming Zoo), who was forcibly separated from its mother to perform as solo act elsewhere for profit, there's finally some good news. After months of social media uproar and complaints over the cruel treatments of the calf in tears during training in leaked vids, the calf is soon returning back to our local zoo. The visibly depressed mother and calf will soon be reunited after a brief quarantine period. One extra star for the zoo for adhering to the voices of the public. A step in the right direction. More compassion for our animal friends in captivity.
China-Laos railway now connecting cities of Kunming and Vientiane
Posted byThe Wall Street Journal currently features the China-Laos Railway on its front page in a special video report:
www.wsj.com/[...]
This WJS report reveals China's BRI plan to connect SE Asia via this railway. Journalists Nikki Walker and Todd Holmes obviously didn't travel to the border SEZ themselves. This area has been a ghost town with stalled development projects for several years, but may slowly pickup in the future if one is cautiously optimistic.
Four Days in China's Spring City – Rediscovering Kunming
Posted by... aka "clock-in"
Actual Himalayan mountain range can be seen in Northwestern Yunnan in volcanic, natural hot-spring cities such as Tengchong. Despite being tail-end, they are still massive.
Four Days in China's Spring City – Rediscovering Kunming
Posted byNice to see the return of travel blog pieces on this site.
Moon and Chalice boutique hotel has turned into a must-visit "打卡" (punch-in time slot) destination for selfie taking tourists who come to Kunming in the past couple of years.
Snapshot: Dali's San Yue Jie
Posted byHigh speed rail tickets from Dali to Lijiang are back online.
Snapshot: Dali's San Yue Jie
Posted byAfter years of closure due to covid, one of Dali's biggest san yue jie festival is officially back in full force, from May 4 and ending May 10. Highest local officials have attended the festivities.
For those travelling by train to Dali, the Dali station is under complete renovations. No. 8 bus (3 yuan) to old town is across the street.
Hai dong train station (aka North Station) will be built in five years and slated to be the biggest train station in Dali.