Manzhouli, a border city in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has witnessed significant growth in foreign tourist visits during the current ice-snow season, as a result of the country's visa-free policies. In the border inspection hall of the Manzhouli Port on China's border with Russia, foreign tourists are queuing to clear customs. To improve the efficiency of customs clearance, the Manzhouli Entry and Exit Border Inspection Station has set up equipment such as facial recognition and intelligent inspection devices. By the end of July this year, China had introduced unilateral visa-free entry or mutual visa exemption agreements with 75 other countries as part of its efforts to streamline visa rules and promote international exchange. The visa-free policy has also contributed to invigorating the local consumer market. Many supermarkets in Manzhouli are seeing a surge in the number of foreign customers eager to shop. The seats at many Russian restaurants in Manzhouli are nearly fully occupied by diners, with most customers being foreign tourists. In addition to preserving traditional Russian dishes, the restaurants have also added a range of Chinese culinary delights to their menus. Shotlist: Manzhouli City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China - Recent: 1. Various of people queuing at border inspection hall; 2. Various of people at supermarket; 3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhang Shuai, manager, supermarket (ending with shot 4): "Normally, our sales volume is around 250,000 yuan (35,500 U.S. dollars). If more foreign tourists visit this year, we expect it to reach 350,000 yuan (49,700 U.S. dollars). Normally, we will in advance stock up on the goods that foreign tourists typically prefer. Compared to the same period of last year, our sales volume has increased by approximately 50 to 70 percent."; 4. Various of tourists choosing products, talking with store owner; 5. Traffic; 6. Various of tourists dining at restaurant, waiter serving; 7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wang Hongyu, restaurant manager (ending with shot 8): "Our store serves over 500 customers daily. Russian customers can use the ruble to pay the bill."; 8. Tourists dining at restaurant; 9. Various of people playing on snowy ground; 10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Huang Jinkai, deputy director, Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio, Film, and Television of Manzhouli City (ending with shot 11): "All rooms in the star-rated hotels have been fully booked two weeks in advance. The number of inbound passenger visits has reached 410,000, up approximately 7 percent year on year."; 11. Various of tourists shopping in shopping mall; 12. Aerial shots of ice sculptures, lights, performance at night. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]