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Now there are 10 Chinese cities that offer a 72 hour stay without visa for transit passengers

If you transit through Hangzhou, now you can enjoy a 72-hour visa-free stay to visit a splendid city. Besides Hangzhou, the 72 hour visa free entry is already available for Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, Xi'an, Chongqing, Dalian, Shenyang, Haikou.

Capital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou is one of seven ancient capitals of China. Its beautiful West Lake, all surrounded by weeping willows, offers some of the most beautiful scenery in China. It was visited and described by Marco Polo in the 13th century. In those days, Hangzhou was reputed to be the largest city in the world. The Buddha Statue, located in Lingyin Temple, Six Harmonies Pagoda, Nanxi the River, Ancient Village Wuzhen, the Loyal statue of General Yue Fei, are some of the most interesting attractions in Hangzhou. Many tourists also visit Qing Hefang Street, an area famous for shopping.

HANGZHOU, Oct. 2014 (Xinhua) - East China's Hangzhou City began to offer 72-hour visa-free entry for international transit passengers, a move to boost tourism and business. The policy covers travelers from 51 countries, including the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Japan. They can enjoy a 72-hour stay in Zhejiang Province after entering the country via Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, providing they have third country visas and onward tickets to leave for a third country or region within 72 hours.

The move will boost international tourism, commercial and trade cooperation as well as cultural exchanges, said Chen Zongyao, a senior provincial government official on Monday. Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, is one of the favorite destinations for domestic tourists. But its inbound tourism is weak. In the first half of this year, Hangzhou received 48 million domestic tourist arrivals and only 1.5 million from overseas, according to the municipal tourism commission.

The same visa-free policy is already in place in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian and Guilin. The State Council, China's cabinet, issued a guideline in August to further expand the policy.