Last updated: October 2026
China closed Golden Week 2026 with 682,000 foreign arrivals between October 1 and 7, of which 505,000 entered visa-free. Headline growth was modest, but the mix shifted toward long-haul visitors, smaller cities, and a visa-free channel that now carries three in four foreign arrivals.
How many foreign visitors entered China during Golden Week 2026?
The National Immigration Administration published the holiday figures on October 8, 2026. Between October 1 and 7, border inspection authorities handled 15.462 million cross-border movements in total, a daily average of 2.209 million and 6.7 percent more than the same holiday in 2025. The single busiest day was October 4, at 2.397 million movements.
| Indicator (October 1 to 7, 2026) | Volume | Change vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Total cross-border movements | 15.462 million | +6.7% |
| Peak day, October 4 | 2.397 million | n/a |
| Mainland residents departing | 4.444 million | +9.3% |
| Foreign nationals arriving | 682,000 | +5.4% |
| Foreign arrivals entering visa-free | 505,000 | +9.2% |
| Cross-border transport vehicles | 732,000 | +14.7% |
The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday ran separately, from September 25 to 27. Border authorities recorded 728,000 foreign cross-border movements across those three days, up 37.7 percent, including 247,000 visa-free arrivals among inbound foreign nationals, up 32.7 percent.
Is visa-free entry now the normal way into China?
For most visitors, yes. National Immigration Administration data reported on October 14, 2026 puts the standing policy at 50 countries covered by unilateral visa-free arrangements, 29 countries with full mutual visa exemption, and 57 countries eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit, with Hainan's 30-day scheme covering 61 countries. The United Kingdom and Canada joined the unilateral list on February 17, 2026.
The channel is no longer marginal. In the first eight months of 2026, border authorities processed 61.287 million foreign entries and exits, up 19.5 percent, and 23.72 million foreign visitors entered visa-free — 77.6 percent of inbound foreigners, up 26.8 percent. The first half followed the same line: 22.914 million inbound foreigners, up 20.4 percent, with 17.815 million of them visa-free, or 77.7 percent.
For itinerary design this changes the order of questions. Eligibility under the current visa-free policy is now the default assumption, and the practical side of arriving inside a peak window is covered in our Golden Week entry guide.
Which source markets grew fastest?
Asia and Europe together supplied close to 70 percent of inbound visitors during the holiday, according to mobility data cited by People's Daily. The movement that matters is at the edges: long-haul markets in North America, South America and Oceania grew 23 percent, and the fastest-rising source countries included Kyrgyzstan, Australia, Sweden and Argentina.
Growth is therefore no longer confined to China's near neighbourhood. Our 2026 source market breakdown sets that shift against the wider year.
Where did inbound visitors actually go?
The long-standing concentration in the Yangtze Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the southeast coast is loosening.
- Guangxi: foreign visitor volumes in Guilin and Chongzuo both rose more than 50 percent year on year.
- Hunan: Zhangjiajie and Xiangtan recorded gains above 50 percent as well.
- Xinjiang: Urumqi and Ili showed similar growth.
- Shaanxi: inbound tour orders for the Terracotta Warriors rose by more than 130 percent.
Among visitors from the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy, the strongest inbound attractions included Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the Terracotta Warriors and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — two of the three sitting well outside the classic gateway cities.
This extends the pattern we flagged in our first-half 2026 numbers review: demand is spreading outward rather than simply thickening at the center.
How did the gateway cities and ports cope?
Airports, rail hubs and land ports absorbed the load, but the volumes were high.
- Shanghai: border inspection processed 809,000 cross-border passengers from October 1 to 7, up 3.4 percent, including 763,000 at Pudong and Hongqiao airports and 46,000 through the cruise port. The city was simultaneously preparing dedicated clearance for the ninth China International Import Expo.
- Sichuan: 141,000 cross-border passengers and 840 flights, up 7.8 percent, with foreign visitors clustering around the panda base and Du Fu Thatched Cottage.
- Guangzhou: roughly 405,000 passengers and 3,500 transport movements, a daily average of 58,000 and growth of 14.7 percent — the highest National Day volume in five years. Much of it fed the 140th Canton Fair.
What changes for 2027 planning?
Three scheduling facts are now fixed enough to build around.
- The 2027 Spring Festival falls on February 6, with New Year's Eve on February 5. Domestic demand fills rail seats and hotels first, so the festive window needs to be booked earlier than the calendar suggests.
- The autumn trade calendar is dense. The 140th Canton Fair ran October 15 to November 4, 2026, and the ninth CIIE followed on November 5 to 10. Expect the same back-to-back rhythm, which holds hotel rates in Guangzhou and Shanghai through late October.
- Golden Week is stable. October 1 to 7 was a seven-day block in 2026, with Mid-Autumn on September 25 to 27. Treat the first week of October as peak and the two weeks after it as the shoulder.
The practical response for groups is to move leisure itineraries before or after the peak rather than into it, and to protect the days on either side of a trade show. Our 2027 outlook tracks the policy and rail changes behind those dates.
How should planners use these numbers?
- For inbound leisure groups, a high visa-free share means fewer clients arrive with a visa already in hand, so eligibility screening moves to the front of the planning conversation.
- For business travel and corporate delegations, the trade-show calendar is the binding constraint, not the holiday.
- For study tours, the shoulder weeks after Golden Week are the calmest window for campus and company visits.
- For tailor-made itineraries, the drift toward second-tier cities is an opening: comparable demand is now available outside the Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai spine. More background sits in the China Travel Insights hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many foreign visitors came to China during Golden Week 2026?
682,000 foreign nationals arrived between October 1 and 7, 2026, up 5.4 percent on the same holiday in 2025. Of those, 505,000 entered under a visa-free arrangement.
Do most foreign visitors now enter China visa-free?
Yes. About 74 percent of foreign arrivals during Golden Week 2026 were visa-free, and the share held at 77.6 percent across the first eight months of 2026.
Which cities gained the most inbound visitors?
Guilin and Chongzuo in Guangxi, Zhangjiajie and Xiangtan in Hunan, and Urumqi and Ili in Xinjiang all recorded foreign visitor growth above 50 percent year on year.
Was Golden Week 2026 busier than 2025?
Slightly. Total cross-border movements rose 6.7 percent and foreign arrivals 5.4 percent. The peak moved to October 4, when 2.397 million movements were recorded in a single day.
When is the best window to avoid the 2027 crowds?
The two weeks after Golden Week, which in 2027 means mid to late October. If a trip must cover a trade event, note that the autumn Canton Fair runs across three phases and the CIIE follows immediately.