Over the recent Labor Day holiday on May 1st, an unexpected destination emerged as a top choice for Chinese tourists venturing overseas: Central Asia.
While Southeast Asia once dominated the list of overseas travel favorites, recent high-profile cases involving telecom fraud and human trafficking—such as the widely publicized January kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing—have cast a shadow over places like Thailand and Cambodia. In contrast, destinations like Uzbekistan, once considered obscure and underdeveloped, are experiencing a surge in popularity among Chinese travelers.
A widely circulated Chinese travel blog captured this shift in real time. The blogger, who spent the May Day holiday touring Uzbekistan, humorously described the experience as “看坟看到人山人海” (“watching tombs amid a sea of people”)—referring to the sheer number of Chinese tourists crowding the country’s famous mausoleums and ancient cities like Samarkand and Bukhara.
More striking than the historic landmarks, however, was the modernity of Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent. The blogger expressed surprise at the city’s sleek subway system, Visa and UnionPay-compatible ticket machines, and well-signed English directions. “I swiped my card at the gate and almost thought I was in New York or London,” the author wrote. On the streets, glass buildings housing Huawei and Kia regional headquarters gleamed under the sun—reminding the traveler of Guangzhou’s modern business districts.
Thanks to a ten-day visa-free policy for Chinese citizens, and word spreading quickly on platforms like Xiaohongshu, destinations such as Uzbekistan are now flooded with visitors eager to explore new, affordable, and photogenic corners of the world.
Meanwhile, Thailand—long a top destination for Chinese tourists—is taking steps to win back travelers. On May 4, during a meeting at the Thai Government House with the Chinese ambassador, officials announced the upcoming “Sawadikap · Hello” campaign, which will invite over 300 Chinese influencers, journalists, and content creators to visit and promote Thai tourism.
The initiative aims to revive what has recently become a sluggish market for Chinese visitors.
