Foreign tourists dressed in ancient Chinese clothing pose for photos at the Palace Museum in Beijing on April 1, 2026. As China's visa-free policies continue to deliver benefits, a huge influx of foreign visitors has come to China, making the Palace Museum a top tourist destination. Photo: VCG

China processed a record of 369 million cross-border trips in the first half of 2026, up 10.8 percent year-on-year, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Friday. 

Foreign arrivals to China reached 22.914 million, up 20.4 percent. Of those, 17.815 million entered under visa-free policies, accounting for 77.7 percent of all arrivals, an increase of 30.6 percent year-on-year, according to the NIA.

The top 10 source countries for inbound foreign travelers to China are South Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the US, Japan, Mongolia and Australia, accounting for 62 percent of all foreign arrivals.

Global Times