China has lifted restrictions on group and independent travel to Lienchiang County for Chinese-controlled Fujian Province residents, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai resumed processing exit visa applications for those traveling to Matsu on Thursday, the source said.
Fujian residents and holders of Fujian residence permits can apply for a single-entry personal or group travel visa to Lienchiang, the source said, adding that the visa is valid for six months and is annotated for direct travel to Lienchiang only.
Photo courtesy of the Maritime and Port Bureau
Tour guides from travel agencies that are authorized to organize tours to Taiwan can apply for a multi-entry group travel visa to Lienchiang, with a validity of up to one year, the source said.
Fujian residents who obtain the correct documentation can enter and exit the Chinese border through Huangqi or Mawei ports in Fuzhou, the source said, adding that they would be able to take cross-strait ferry services under the “small three links.”
Regarding the length of their stay, the source said under Taiwan’s entry policies, Chinese visitors can stay for up to 15 days.
Eight Fujian tourists were to arrive in Matsu yesterday and stay for about five days, Lienchiang County Association of Travel Agents chairman Yang Yao-chih (楊曜誌) said.
The eight tourists were approved by the Chinese authorities to travel to Lienchiang under individual travel visas and no Chinese tour guide would accompany them, but they are to join a guided group during their visit, Yang said.
Chinese tourism to Taiwan had been largely frozen for more than three years. China halted independent travel to Taiwan on Aug. 1, 2019, citing the poor state of cross-strait relations. It then suspended group travel to other countries, including Taiwan, in early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In a written reply, the Mainland Affairs Council said that it was pleased to see the Chinese authorities announce the resumption of applications for Fujian residents to travel to Matsu for group and individual travelers.
“The government’s stance of welcoming Chinese tourists to visit Matsu, Kinmen or Taiwan remains unchanged,” the council added.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS