Australians use 72 hour visa-free stay to transit in Chengdu
Two Australians became the second and third people to take advantage of Chengdu’s new 72-hour visa-free policy, according to a local media. A father and his daughter took the direct flight from Melbourne, and stopped over in Chengdu on their way to Japan. They were granted a 72-hour visa-free stay in Chengdu at the airport.
Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, started offering international transit passengers 72-hour visa-free stays from 1st of September 2013. It is the fourth city, and the first in western China, to introduce the visa-free policy, following Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The visa-free scheme covers travellers from 45 countries, including Australia. The policy aims to encourage overseas tourists and business people to visit Chengdu, and attract more foreign investment into the west China market.