International tourists are more and more seeking to engage in Chinese culture in depth by traveling historic cities beyond traditional destinations with growing interest in staying longer.

In Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan in central China, 19 Portuguese tourists enjoyed walking through an extensive rammed earth building complex.

Roaming in alleys of the scenic area, they learned more about the agrarian civilization in China and the famous Yellow River.

They had toured around multiple historic cities in Henan, including Kaifeng, Luoyang, and Anyang, in their 11-day stay in China, during which they watched various performance and experienced intangible cultural heritage.

"It's beautiful. It's completely beautiful. I want to make a lot of them. I will put it at my door. So, I have a lot of luck to come here again," said Ana Vilaca, a member of the Portuguese tour group, after experiencing Chinese woodblock printing in the Zhengzhou-based scenic area.

"[I am] very interested in this kind of tourism, not only tourism, but also to learn many things about culture and traditions and everything about China," said Paulo Mesquita Pinto, another of the group, as he experienced Chinese calligraphy in Zhengzhou.

The tour was organized by a Chinese school in Portugal, which offers a good opportunity for students and even their friends and relatives to experience Chinese culture in person.

"We didn't expect such enthusiasm. There were many applicants, who are not confined to our students, there are their friends and relatives," said Chen Qiaoqiao, a teacher in the school.

China has been witnessing booming inbound arrivals thanks to the country's visa-free policies.

It now offers unilateral visa-free entry to nationals of 50 countries. Nationals from 55 countries can now utilize the 240-hour visa-free transit program to enter China via 65 designated ports.

"Definitely. Yeah, we can very flexible to come and go as we need to do business. It's good," said Justin Wird, an international traveler, after landing in an airport in Zhengzhou.

Official data showed China's border inspection agencies handled a record 369 million inbound and outbound crossings in the first half of 2026, up 10.8 percent year on year. Among them, mainland residents accounted for 176 million trips, while foreign nationals made 45.9 million trips, with both figures registering double-digit growth.