A tourist group listens to a tour guide introduce the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on January 16, 2025 (YANG CHUANLI)

To enhance the visitor experience for international travelers, Trip.com Group launched the "Beijing Express" free layover tour service in December 2024. This program offers free half-day tours to popular cultural landmarks, coinciding with the recent expansion of China's visa-free transit policy.

This policy, which now allows eligible foreign travelers to stay in China for up to 10 days, has significantly boosted inbound tourism.

"This program aims to provide tourists with a taste of Beijing's charm and inspire them to explore China further," said Xiao Fenfei, director of China Inbound Project Management, Trip.com Group.

Two groups of international tourists explored Beijing's Badaling Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Qianmen Street and Tiananmen Square on January 16, 2025.

At the Badaling Great Wall, visitors expressed awe at its magnificence. "It's beautiful. It's always been my dream," said Karolina Rasikova, a tourist from the Czech Republic.

Filip Lucassen, another Czech tourist, remarked that the grandeur of the Great Wall deepened his appreciation for the wisdom and perseverance of the ancient Chinese builders. He said, "The name fits; it's great, it's a wall, and it's very impressive."