BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At Yuetan Park (Temple of the Moon) in Beijing, six-year-old Serena from Ireland pointed at a glowing panda lantern and tugged her father's sleeve. For her family, this Mid-Autumn Festival fair was not just a stop in their China trip, but a holiday event they could touch, taste and carry home.
"We came to admire the moon and lanterns, but the girls ended up with their pockets full of handmade crafts and local snacks," her father Marcus Rood said. Around this traditional Chinese festival of family reunion, more international visitors are coming to China and diving into experiences that go beyond just sightseeing.
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. During this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, from Sept. 25 to 27, foreign nationals made 728,000 border crossings, up 37.7 percent year on year.
Among inbound foreign visitors, a total of 247,000 entered under visa-free policies, an increase of 32.7 percent from a year earlier, data from the National Immigration Administration showed.
In the bustling Dashilar area, a renowned tourist destination in downtown Beijing, time-honored shops and restaurants rolled out various Mid-Autumn cultural experiences. Overseas visitors flocked there to enjoy China's traditional song-and-dance performances and local delicacies.
For Celia Praetzas from Germany, an evening stroll turned into a shopping spree. Along a street decorated with giant installations blending Chinese pavilion architecture and heritage craft, she picked up low-sugar mooncakes, herbal tea and traditional Chinese health products.
Seeing so many families laughing together reminded Praetzas of hers. "I bought these for my parents, hoping they stay healthy and share in the joy of my trip here."
The Mid-Autumn Festival tells the story of home yet stirs a universal human yearning for belonging. "That's why the celebrations can touch foreign visitors," said Wang Yi, an associate professor at Tianjin University in north China.
Behind these scenes featuring overseas visitors soaking up China's festive atmosphere, is a sustained push to make the country more welcoming and easier to travel in.
In March, Chinese authorities released a package of measures to improve tourism services, including optimizing departure tax refund services, encouraging everyday service apps to offer multilingual versions, and further improving visa procedures.
These efforts are already paying off. Official data revealed that foreign nationals made nearly 61.29 million border crossings in the first eight months of 2026, up 19.5 percent year on year, while one of the leading mobile payment platform Weixin Pay reported that both the value and number of e-wallet transactions made by overseas users rose by more than 80 percent during the same period.
On Sept. 24, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced plans to develop more travel experiences that combine traditional culture with modern life during 2026-2030, aimed at helping foreign visitors travel more conveniently, enjoy more comfortable stays, and gain a closer view of contemporary China.
Clutching a villager's ID card and breathing in the sweet aroma of local tea, Thai tourist Pam wandered through earthen courtyards and cave-like alleys in "See Minning," an immersive drama village in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where every few minutes she could run into another live scene.
Pam, who was visiting with her family during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, most enjoyed "Loess Cave," a story about villagers who once struggled with water shortages but now cherish a better life. "I was thrilled. It's hard to describe how amazing it is," she said.
The village has received almost 1,000 inbound visitors like Pam since it opened on July 1, and "Loess Cave," her favorite, now has an English version. Feng Xinxin, brand director of the village, said more plays will be translated into English as part of a regular international performance and exchange program.
"Inbound consumption by foreign visitors is shifting from products to immersive experiences, and thanks to the expanding visa-free policy, overseas tourists visit more often and tend to explore in greater depth, with varied and increasingly satisfying experiences," said Sun Jiashan, a researcher with the Central Institute of Socialism.
In July, China announced ambitious inbound tourism goals. The country's 2026-2030 tourism development plan proposes attracting 190 million inbound tourist visits a year by 2030, with annual inbound tourism spending exceeding 150 billion U.S. dollars.
As Dai Bin, president of China Tourism Academy, observed, tourism offers an immersive showcase of China's progress in manufacturing and services.
"Easier access to China for foreign visitors is not enough. We should provide better services to help them travel to more places, stay longer and have a good experience," Dai said. ■
