72-hour Visa Free Transit in Kunming

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The visa-free policy for foreign nationals is a part of the visa-free system implemented by various countries in the world. It means that foreign nationals do not need to apply for the visa of the transit country when transiting from this country to the third country and can even stay a short time in transit country according to the law or relevant regulations of the transit country.

China has been implemented the 72-hour (3-days) visa transit policy since 1 September, 2013. At beginning, there are only 5 cities in China carrying out this policy, then more and more cities jointed in allowing foreign travelers who meet the requirements of the policy to transit and stay less than 72-hour without a visa.

Kunming began to implement the 72-hour Visa-free transit policy on October 1st, 2014. The policy does not permit travel outside the prefecture-level area administered by the port of entry city. So if you apply for the free-visa transit in Kunming, you can go to the Stone forest, as it's within Kunming Municipality, but not anywhere outside the Kunming border. The suspension time is 72 hours, which is calculated starting from 00:00 the day after arrival.

72-hour Visa-free Transit

How to Apply in Kunming Changshui Airport?

There are several things you need to pay attention when applying for 72-hour Visa Free Transit in Kunming Changshui International Airport.

First of all, only passengers by plane not by train, ship or other transportation can apply for it.

Secondly, foreigners holding confirmed seats on an international flight for a third country (or separately administered region of China: Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) are allowed to stay in the designated Chinese area for 72 hours. Air tickets for the country just arrived from are not acceptable, nor are air ticket to another visa-free city in China.

Thirdly, there are total 51 qualified countries, so if you apply for it, you should be the citizens of them with valid international traveling documents. The 51 countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and other countries like Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,the Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.

Therefore, as long as you meet the requirements mentioned above, you can apply directly to China border control authorities when arrival or you can ask the airline which carries you on this trip to apply for you.

Applying 72-hour Visa-free Transit

Recommended Attractions in Kunming for a 3-day visa-free Tour

Once you successfully apply for the 3-day visa-free transit in Kunming, you can take full advantage of the period for a fantastic tour in Kunming. Kunming is famous for its beautiful scenery, colorful ethnic culture and good weather. It is a city with flowers bloomed all around the year, as even being titled as the "spring city". Besides, there are many minority nationalities live there, which form the unique ethnic culture. So, if you come to Kunming, do not miss the chance for sightseeing and enjoying the local minority culture.

The Stone Forest

For the natural landscape part, you are suggested not to miss the Stone Forest in Kunming. The Stone Forest has unique karst topography which is one of the best of its kind within China. There are six scenic spots in the Stone Forest: the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, the Naigu Stone Forest (also known as the Heisong Cave), the Zhiyun Cave, the Long Lake, the Da Dieshui Waterfall and the Qifeng Cave. The stelae and the stalagmites are erecting abruptly from the ground forming a magnificent stone forest.There are a good variety of conformations stelae, cliffs and apices, some of which look like phoenixes, elephants and rhinoceros. In addition to stone sight, the beautiful Long Lake lies silently beside the Weize Village, about 15 kilometers from the town center. It is such a heavenly scene of a peaceful lake surrounded by greenery and rolling hills. What's more, the Da Dieshui Waterfall pours down from the cliff, looking like a piece of milky silk hanging from the cliff. It is such a splendid and dramatic scene.

Anyway, looking from afar, the stone forest looks amazingly like a mighty army of thousands of soldiers. Strangely the stones stay stainless and keep themselves away from dust and dirt seemingly naturally. Walking through the stone forest was quite an adventure and an unforgettable experience. For this wonder, you have to prepare one day to fully enjoin its beauty.

Stone Forest

Yunnan Minority Village

For the human landscape part, you are recommended to experience the Yunnan Minority Village. Each nationality has its particularities in terms of language, religion, and in the ways of conducting themselves in relation to others, in attire, eating habits, the way of travelling, festivities, marriage, birth and burial customs, just as people say that "Yunnan has ten thousand kinds of customs and conventions". In order to exhibit the customs and conventions of the 26 nationalities in Yunnan, it is planned to build 26 natural villages, giving prominence to the architectures of various nationalities. Now eight villages have been completed and they were officially opened on February 18, 1992. The group sculpture at the entrance is called "white elephants greeting guests". When night falls, real elephants in the villages would solute to guests.

In addition to the ethnic constructions, clothes and customs, there are activities that take place such as performing white elephants, ethnic singing and dancing performances. The climax of the performances is a film shown on a fountain of water. Tourists can also taste the local food and buy the ethnic art crafts here. They can also attend some typical festival celebrations of the ethnic groups. For example, the March Street (Bai Nationality), Water Splashing Day (Dai), Torch Festival (Yi), Daogan Festival (Lisu), and so on. The “villagers” are all chosen from the youth of the relevant nationalities to act as guides or performers for tourists.One day for this is enough for a general skim.

Yunnan Minority Village

The Western Hills

The Western Hills is located in the southwest of Kunming City, adjoining to the Grand View Park in its north and Jinning County in its south. It has been a tourist attraction and summer resort from ancient time.The Western Hills is all covered by the large green trees and many human landscapes such as Huating Temple, Taihua Temple, NieEr Tomb, Longmen which forms a group of architectures above cliffs along with Sanqing Pavilion and so on.

Known also as Kunming Lake, Lake Dian is located at the foot of the Western Hills south-west of Kunming city in Yunnan Province. Being a bright and smooth highland lake, it's reputed as "A Pearl on the Yungui Plateau" . The picturesque lake, dotted with sails, appears green and boundless and shining with ripples. Along its 150 kilometers long winding banklies numerous scenic spots and historical sites such as the Grand View Pavilion, West Garden and the Lake Embankment.

Western Hills

The Bird and Flower Market of Kunming

Finally, besides the scenic spots mentioned above, you can also spend a couple of hours to visit the Bird and Flower Market of Kunming. It is located at the Yongdao Street in the center of Kunming. This market sells all thins: flower, bird, fish, jewelry, handiwork, antique, coin, you name it. And during this time, you can also appreciate the true local culture.

So for this part, you are suggested to spend the morning visiting the Western Hills and the afternoon hanging around the market.

Bird and Flower Market of Kunming