Beijing News You Might Have Missed this Week, Sep 11

Original Joey Knotts theBeijinger

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Chinese Consulates in US Drop returnee pre-approval: Several Chinese Consulates in the US have dropped the requirement of obtaining a pre-approval letter via email for returning to China for foreigners who already hold residence permits for work, personal matters, or family reasons. Consulates in Los Angeles and San Francisco announced they would drop the requirement earlier this week, followed quickly by the consulate in Chicago, whose new policy goes into effect Sep 14.

The move signals a light streamlining of the return process for foreigners in the US who wish to come back to China, though it only eliminates one step in a still complicated process that includes proving vaccination status and a negative IgM Antibody test in order to obtain a health declaration QR code. (Those interested in returning to China should consult their local consulate website for full details.)

New Great Wall routes: At a Great Wall Culture Festival event this week, it was announced that ten new travel routes along the Great Wall will be opened to the public around the Juyongguan, Badaling, Mutianyu, Huanghua Chengshui, and Simatai segments of the wall. Rather than being on the wall itself, these routes will open up tourism in the surrounding villages and will include art exhibitions and other sites that promote learning about the wall's history and the culture of the villages, thus helping to make a trip to the wall more than just a day of endless climbing.

Influx of holiday travel: This year, many Beijingers will choose to stay in the city for Mid-Autumn Festival rather than traveling, but they'll be joined by a rush of tourists visiting for the holiday as Beijing tops the charts for travel plans. Part of the reason hinges on Universal Studios opening to the public on Sep 20, the second day of the holiday. Also adding to increased travel is the recent removal of restrictions on group travel as organized by agencies.

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