BEIJING - On Oct 1, the first day of China's eight-day National Day holiday, 70-year-old Nikolayev crossed the border into Manzhouli, a border city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

"This is my birthday gift to myself," said the Russian traveler, beaming as he waved his passport freshly stamped with an entry seal.

Fascinated by China since childhood, Nikolayev had long dreamed of visiting the neighboring country. When he learned about China's latest visa-free travel policy for Russian citizens last month, he decided to celebrate his 70th birthday in China, arriving just in time for China's National Day.

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"I wanted to see my neighbor with my own eyes," he said. "The visa-free policy made it the perfect moment."

According to China's National Immigration Administration (NIA), tourists of 76 countries now enjoy unilateral or mutual visa-free entry, with transit exemptions expanded to 55 countries. Citizens of 55 countries, including the United States and Canada, can visit China visa-free for up to 10 days in transit, before traveling to a third destination.

Earlier this year, Southwest China's Chongqing municipality captured global attention when US influencer IShowSpeed livestreamed from the city to over 10 million viewers, exclaiming, "This city is actually a cyber city!"

According to official data, from January to August this year, Chongqing saw an 82.48 percent year-on-year increase in inbound tourist arrivals.

During this holiday, the city continued to draw foreign visitors, among them was Antonio from Spain, who visited Chongqing during this National Day holiday, drawn especially to the striking sight of a monorail slicing through apartment blocks, a feature he eagerly photographed.

"I'm fascinated by how the city seems to rise in layers," he said, glancing at the skyline where towers cling to steep hillsides. "When the lights come on at night, it feels almost futuristic."

While Chongqing amazed people with its modern skyscrapers, North China's Shanxi province presented a journey through centuries-old wooden pagodas and temples.

Renowned for its ancient structures with over 28,000 preserved historical buildings, the province's popularity has surged thanks to the phenomenal video game Black Myth: Wukong, inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.

In Taiyuan city, Spanish visitor Sergio, a fan of ancient architecture, was greeted with an unexpected touch of Mid-Autumn warmth: a mooncake and a cultural brochure from immigration officers.

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"What a sweet surprise!" he said, flipping through the brochure to check out one of his planned stops: the Xiaoxitian Temple -- or the Little Western Paradise Temple in Xi county, featuring stunning 400-year-old suspended sculptures.

According to official data, Xi county welcomed over 93,000 visitors from Oct 1 to 7, matching the county's entire population.

China is expected to record an average of 2 million daily border crossings during the eight-day National Day holiday, which overlaps with the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, according to the NIA.