Travel Gossip: China & Malaysia Extend Mutual Visa-Free Travel

By Billy Jiang, June 21, 2024

In a recent development, Chinese Premier Li Qiang concluded his state visit to Malaysia on June 20, bringing more good news for travelers.

Following his announcements of unilateral visa-free policies for New Zealand and Australia, Li Qiang revealed an extension of the existing mutual visa-free agreement with Malaysia.

China's visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens will now be extended until the end of 2025, while Malaysia will extend its visa-free entry for Chinese citizens until the end of 2026.

Additionally, in a display of cultural diplomacy, Malaysia and China signed an agreement to jointly nominate the lion dance for the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This collaboration underscores the shared cultural heritage between the two nations and aims to promote the preservation of this vibrant tradition.

The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in tourism and an Executive Program of Cultural Exchange Agreement for 2024 to 2029.

Lion dance preparation. Image by Billy Jiang/That's

The lion dance is one of the most commonly seen Chinese folk arts worldwide, yet how did the lion dance come to be so popular when lions aren’t even native to China?

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[Cover image by Billy Jiang/That's]