China

China: Visa Rules Tightened for Olympics Period

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

The Foreign Ministry acknowledged that it has tightened visa rules after weeks of denials from immigration officials, now requiring invitation letters, hotel reservations and proof of roundtrip air tickets for some travelers. There have been reports of foreigners, especially students, being forced out of Beijing, and other travelers and foreign embassy officials having trouble getting [read more]

China: Diqing Tibetan Region Reopens to Foreigners

Date: April 17th, 2008 |

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While Tibet remains closed to foreign tourists, the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan province reopened to all visitors April 10 after being closed for almost a month. The region is home to the tourist resort of Shangri-la, a place formerly known as Zhongdian but renamed in 2001 to cash in on the fabled secret [read more]

China/Tibet: Tensions Remain High in Lhasa

Date: April 2nd, 2008 |

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Facing international censure over its repression of dissent in Tibet and in heavily Tibetan areas of Gansu province, the Chinese government is doing its best to blame the recent protests on the Dalai Lama while showing that the situation is calm in Lhasa. It allowed foreign diplomats in for a tightly-controlled two-day visit but did [read more]

China: Shanghai Taxi Gang Preys on Tourists; Unusual Hostage Incident in Xi’an

Date: March 12th, 2008 |

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A Shanghai taxi gang has been preying on tourists arriving in the city center on the high-speed train from Pudong Airport by demanding exorbitant fares and then robbing or intimidating their victims to pay up. A recent case of a $1,000 ride that should have cost a few dollars caused a police crackdown and eight [read more]

Tibet: Funding Planned to Upgrade Lhasa Toilets

Date: December 19th, 2007 |

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Tourism to Tibet has increased dramatically since the opening of the rail link to Lhasa in 2006, with more than a million visitors this year to the Potala Palace, the former residence of the Dalai Lama, and some 4 million tourists overall. With that influx comes pressure on facilities of all sorts, so Chinese tourism [read more]

China and Tibet: Lockdown in Lhasa; Interpol Worries about Attacks in Beijing

Date: May 1st, 2008 |

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The Chinese government announced a lockdown on the Tibetan capital of Lhasa from May 1 to June 20 to prevent any disruption of the Olympic torch parade through Tibet. Residents of surrounding counties have been ordered not to enter the city, including farmers who would normally come to Lhasa to sell their produce, and all [read more]

Tibet: China to Retain Restrictions on Foreign Tourists

Date: April 17th, 2008 |

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Chinese officials did an about-face on their decision to reopen Tibet to foreigners May 1, saying that the region and its capital, Lhasa, will remain closed until further notice, probably at least until the Olympic torch passes through Tibet and possibly until the end of the Olympic Games. This decision does not affect Chinese tourists, [read more]

Tibet: Tight Security in Lhasa

Date: March 20th, 2008 |

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Rioting occurred in Lhasa after several days of peaceful marches to mark the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising against Chinese rule and the Dalai Lama’s exile. Chinese security forces put down the protests in which at least 13 people were killed (an estimate by the Dalai Lama’s officials said 99 people died) and more [read more]

China: Heavy Snow Disrupts Travel

Date: January 24th, 2008 |

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Heavy snow disrupted travel in several provinces in central China at the beginning of the travel season for Lunar New Year. The holiday begins Feb. 7 but many Chinese travel weeks in advance to avoid the crush of travelers on trains and buses closer to the new year. Snow closed roads and caused dozens of [read more]

China: Tourist Restrictions on Great Wall, Ming Tombs

Date: November 29th, 2007 |

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Tourist activities at the Great Wall may be restricted in the coming months as officials implement a general plan for China’s top tourist sites. The plan calls for no more than 53,300 daily tourist visitors and a limit of 16 million annually to Badaling Great Wall and Ming Tombs. Other attractions such as Juyongguan Great [read more]