Golden Week Numbers Are In: 682,000 Foreign Visitors — and Why Travelers' Money Is Moving to Cheap China Experiences
National Immigration Administration numbers: 682,000 foreign visitors during Golden Week, visa-free entries up 9.2%. Meanwhile travelers are spending less on tickets and more on hanfu styling, massage and night markets — at prices that make Western budgets do a double take.
Key takeaway
National Immigration Administration data shows 682,000 foreign visitors entered China during Golden Week 2026 (+5.4%), with 505,000 visa-free entries (+9.2%) and inbound bookings up double digits. Spending is shifting from ticketed landmarks to cheap immersive experiences: hanfu styling from about $7, an hour of traditional massage around $35, night-market meals for ¥30–60.
Full report
The Numbers: A Record Golden Week
The National Immigration Administration reported 682,000 foreign visitors entering China during the 2026 National Day holiday, up 5.4% year on year. Of those, 505,000 came in visa-free — up 9.2%. Border crossings across the week totaled 15.46 million, with the peak day (October 4) reaching 2.397 million.
The bigger signal is where arrivals are growing. Chinese travel platforms report inbound travel bookings up double digits over the holiday, with Europe accounting for more than 20% of travelers. Mutianyu Great Wall inbound bookings nearly quadrupled; the Forbidden City and Terracotta Army both grew over 130%.
Where the Spending Is Shifting
The pattern is consistent with the Chinamaxxing trend: fewer itinerary slots for ticketed landmarks, more for experiences you can touch. Hanfu styling, foot massage, ear cleaning, night-market dinners — these are the activities filling travelers' camera rolls this year, not just postcards.
There is a numbers reason for it. Half-year figures from the NIA show 22.91 million foreign arrivals, up 20.4%, with 77.7% entering visa-free. When the entry friction drops, the trip itself becomes more casual — and casual trips spend on daily-life experiences.
What Things Actually Cost (2026, street prices)
Prices below are what you can actually find in 2026, from rental shops and booking platforms:
- Hanfu rental, Suzhou: about ¥80–180 for the outfit alone; ¥180–350 with styling; ¥350–700+ with a photographer. In Beijing, basic costume-and-makeup packages run around ¥150–200 near major sights.
- Hanfu experience packages on Trip.com: from about $7 for a costume-and-photo session, with most options $15–30.
- Traditional Chinese massage, Xi'an: about $35 for a full hour including tea and snacks — a common booking on GetYourGuide.
- Night-market dinner: ¥30–60 fills you up properly, from grilled skewers to hand-pulled noodles.
For comparison, an equivalent "royal banquet with costume and massage" experience in Shanghai runs about €95 on GetYourGuide — a different product tier entirely. For everyday immersion, the gap between Chinese street prices and Western equivalents is the whole point of the trend.
How to Book These Like a Local
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Skip the hotel concierge markup. Use Trip.com or Meituan Dianping (Chinese app, has an English mode) for hanfu and massage bookings.
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Walk into neighborhood studios directly — most accept Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card linked.
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Avoid the shops right at tourist gates; walk one street back and the same package drops 30–50%.
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Book hanfu for early morning before the crowds; golden-hour light at the city wall is the shot everyone wants.
What to do next
Reallocate your itinerary: keep 1–2 landmarks, add one hanfu or massage session and two night-market dinners. Book experiences on Trip.com or a local app, link Alipay/WeChat Pay before arrival, and walk one street away from ticket gates for the real prices.
What may vary
Prices shift by city and season; peak holiday and weekend rates run higher; tourist-gate shops charge 30–50% more; some smaller studios are cash-only and need a local app for booking.