Beijing, China – Mandy Yang, a marketing professional in Beijing, is all set to travel abroad once China’s borders reopen on January 8.
Yang, 42, and her family renewed their passports in November and have recently been looking for flights to Chiang Mai in Thailand.
For Yang, like many other Chinese, it will be her first overseas trip since China slammed its borders shut in March 2020.
“Once I travel, I will want to experience local customs and cuisine,” Yang told Al Jazeera. “I don’t have to buy luxury items, but I will choose to spend my money on four or five-star hotels.”
Not only does Yang appreciate the history and culture of Chiang Mai, which was founded in the 13th century as the capital of the Lan Na Kingdom, but she was also impressed to see Thailand’s tourism ministry propose offering free COVID-19 vaccine boosters to attract tourists. On China’s social…
