A video of Jovana, a Serbian student at Beijing International Studies University, went viral on social media recently. The hashtag "a foreign student visits dozes of Chinese historical sites in half a year" was viewed over tens of millions of times.

Jovana shared her life in China through the video. She said that mobile payment in China has brought great convenience to her, and she only needs to bring her phone and charger when going out, instead of the wallet. 

A snapshot of the video

She also showed the new process for linking foreign bank cards and booking tickets. She mentioned that popular attractions such as the Forbidden City support foreign tourists to use passport information and overseas bank cards to purchase tickets in advance on WeChat. These improvements not only enhance the experience of tourists but also allow her to easily invite foreign friends to visit these cultural relics in China.

In response, netizens commented, "Chinese culture is very charming," and "Her experience also reminds us that the convenience of technology makes it easier for foreign tourists to experience China's historical charm."

During the third "minister's passage" interview session at the 14th National People's Congress, Sun Yeli, minister of culture and tourism, addressed the issue of "difficulties in payment for inbound tourists". He said that in recent years, the popularity of mobile payment in China has increased rapidly, but some foreign tourists have had difficulties adjusting to these methods.

The Party Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to this issue, coordinating relevant parties and proposing various measures to address it. Sun expressed his confidence that with the implementation of a series of policies, foreigners visiting China will undoubtedly enjoy the same convenience as domestic tourists.

Wang Jinwei, an associate professor at the School of Tourism Sciences mentioned that modern technology has significantly influenced inbound tourism. Foreign tourists can now gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture through technological means, and it has also enhanced the convenience of traveling in China. Technological innovation has become a crucial tool in addressing issues such as inconvenient currency exchange and payment difficulties in inbound tourism.

Yang Hao, a student journalist at the School of Chinese Culture and Communication contributed a lot to the production of this viral video. He believes that its popularity not only showcases China's innovation in the payment field but also reflects the efforts made by the country to enhance the international tourist experience.

"Thanks to these convenient measures, it is expected to attract more foreign tourists to travel to China, further promoting cultural exchange and the development of the tourism industry. As a student majoring in journalism, being able to record these events, I feel very inspired," said Yang Hao.

The video was jointly produced by Beijing Daily and BISU. Released on March 11 by Beijing Daily, it has been reposted by over 40 media outlets.