Travel

Employees in China have little annual leave to begin with — what happens when the Chinese authorities announce that Chinese New Year’s Eve will not be a holiday in 2024?

Amid high property prices, especially in first-tier cities, some people in China are choosing to live a mobile life in recreational vehicles (RVs) instead. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Daryl Lim speaks to RV dwellers to find out more about this unique lifestyle.

Mutual mistrust and fear between China and foreign countries is mounting, especially amid the self-imposed travel restrictions on both sides for high-level executives. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Han Yong Hong assesses that such developments are accelerating the decoupling between China and foreign countries, with little hope for reversal.

The Golden Week holiday in China is usually the peak period for travel and tourism, and tourist revenue. But even with the lifting of travel restrictions following the pandemic, the number of Chinese travellers going overseas is far from what it was before. Where are the Chinese tourists?

In the first summer vacation since Covid-19 lockdowns were lifted in China, study tour operators are back in full force throughout the country. Interestingly, two extremes have emerged in terms of spending on such tours depending on region and family income. Against a backdrop of uneven economic development and unequal distribution of educational resources across China, will this polarisation aggravate its social stratification problem?

Hong Kongers have recently found a nearby spending destination in mainland China: Shenzhen. Since the summer vacation, a steady wave of tourists from Hong Kong has crossed the border to visit the various shopping spots in the mainland Chinese city. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Daryl Lim shares his findings from interviews in Shenzhen.

Zibo, a third-tier former industrial city in Shandong, has been revitalised by a somewhat unlikely source: the humble barbecue skewer. Starting with university students back in March, there has been an influx of visitors hankering for a taste of Zibo barbecue. What is behind this sudden trend?

Chinese youths are jumping on the trend of “special forces” travel, spending as little as possible to cover as many locations in as short a time as possible, and spending nights in restaurants and trains instead of hotels and travel accommodations. But given the general lack of in-depth experiences and the negative effects of such superficial tourism, is it worth the effort? Or are young Chinese looking for an outlet for their pent-up energy and emotions?

Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong shares her observations of a post-pandemic Beijing, noting the subtle differences in consumer habits and the people’s reluctance to talk about politics. How will China continue to change on its path of 'China-style modernisation'?