FOLLOWING China’s introduction of visa-free stays for numerous nationalities, a wave of tourists has arrived, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs. Among them are both Chinese locals and expatriates with years of experience in the country, who are now offering personalized tours designed to connect visitors with the authentic China and its people.

Liu Sen, co-founder of the Shanghai-based four-person team Eastbound and Beyond, finds that many clients from Europe and the U.S. hold outdated perceptions. To provide a fresh perspective, Liu guides them through the Bund, leads them in practicing Tai Chi with retirees at Fuxing Park, and takes them to explore the handwritten matchmaking notices in People’s Park — each activity a window into the nuances of contemporary urban life.

Veteran travel guide Sun Shuli now specializes in leading in-depth cultural tours in Beijing and Shanghai. Meanwhile, Clarisse Le Guernic, a French national who has called Shanghai home for a decade, founded Arcade, a tourism company offering around 30 themed routes spanning history, architecture, and literature.

One standout itinerary traces the protagonist’s footsteps in “The Blue Lotus,” an installment of the Tintin comics set in 1930s Shanghai. Participants walk the streets that inspired the story, book in hand, drawing connections between the illustrated past and the vibrant present.

Together, these innovators are reshaping how international visitors engage with China — shifting the experience from mere spectacle to lived reality.(Xinhua)