During the pandemic, our world became isolated and lonely as borders between states and countries were barred tight.
It seemed like there’d be no end to the dismal media and strained travel up until just recently.
At last, international and domestic flights are no longer a nearly impossible feat only obtained by the ultra-liberal sheep – but there is still one place you may want to steer clear of as a freedom-loving American.
China-US relations have been strained for decades – ever since the formation of the People’s Republic of China.
With the communist nation desperate to prove themselves as the global super-power, China has been unwavering in their egocentric policies concerning international relations.
Despite these facts, the People’s Republic of China brought in over 90 million tourists in 2019, according to CNBC, with nearly 3 million hailing from the United States, according to Statista.
China was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting off tourism to and from the country entirely.
Over the course of the last year, many other countries opened their borders to guests, happy to bring in revenue vital for economic survival, but not China.
However now, after nearly 3 years of harsh and oppressive mandates beyond those already enforced by the communist government, movement in and out of the country has returned.
“China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020,” BBC reports.
You can now fly into the People’s Republic of China without having to undergo a quarantine period, but you’re still required to show proof of a negative PCR test within 48 hours of arrival.
While tourists haven’t exactly been biting at the bit to enter a country where rising COVID-19 cases are still making headlines, families who’ve been separated from their loved ones are eager to reunite.
“In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into mainland China in the coming weeks with long queues for flights into cities including Beijing and Xiamen,” BBC reports, many of which were college students returning home.
One excited woman told Reuters that she was finally going to see her parents for the first time in three years and was “so, so happy.”
The timing of the reopening of the country is no accident.
The first period of the Lunar New Year, called “Chunyun”, has historically been the “largest annual worldwide migration of people returning home to spend time with family,” reports BBC.
Some have expressed concern over the now-lax COVID mandates in China for fear it will begin spreading throughout the world again, but activists who fought for such freedoms are celebrating.
One thing is for sure, the tyrannical Chinese government will not stand for any of their citizens criticizing their choices, and over 1,000 social media accounts that expressed criticism about how they handled the coronavirus have already been banned, BBC uncovers.
While epic sights like the Great Wall of China and eating unique and explosive culinary delights is enticing, the harsh Chinese government does not take kindly to American citizens.
There have been numerous cases of travelers being detained by communist authorities without warning and without explanation for an undisclosed amount of time.
This is definitely not the end to a vacation you would hope for.
Instead of dealing with the chaos of traveling to China, Proud American Traveler suggests you hit the most popular Chinatowns right here in the United States for an authentic experience.
After all, the worst contention you’ll have to deal with is a knock-off purse and a bad sunburn.
(h/t Proud American Traveler)