Storyline: China's border towns popular among visa-free travellers [Voice_over] Since China began implementing its visa-free travel policies, tourists from neighboring countries have been visiting not only China's urban centers but also its border towns. China's trial visa-free policy for Russian citizens took effect September 15th. In the following month, some 43,000 tourists took advantage of the policy through northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a year-on-year increase of almost 30 percent. An immigration officer in the region says the visa-free policy helps make customs clearances a breeze. [Sound_bite] Dai Chen, immigration inspection officer, Heihe Port : "Visa-free entry has become the preferred option for Russian travelers. More than 80 percent of them come to Heihe through this policy." [Voice_over] In southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the port city of Dongxing is connected to Vietnam both by land and sea, making it a top costal tourism destination. Official data shows that from January to mid-October of this year, the Dongxing Port handled more than 7.6 million exits and entries, a 12 percent increase year on year. [Sound_bite] Vietnamese tourist: "I love Dongxing. I came with my friend for the coastal scenery and seafood here." [Voice_over] For South Korean tourists, Rongcheng City of Shandong Province is the closest port and has become one of the most favored entry points. According to the Shandong Border Inspection, from January to September of this year more than 404,000 South Korean tourists entered China through Shandong's ports, up 39 percent year on year. [Sound_bite] Ma Zhenhua, head of immigration inspection, Shidao Port: "We have streamlined inspection procedures and provided convenient services. In the third quarter, the total number of ferry passengers grew by 25 percent year on year at the port." [Voice_over] The data also shows that of those 404,000 South Korean entries, 329,000 people used the visa-free policy. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]