China Opens 137 More Sites to Foreigners

China announced Friday that it will open 137 more cities and regions to foreign travelers as of today, including the capital of Tibet and cities in a vast northwestern region bordering the Soviet Union.

Travel to the cities and regions will no longer require travel permits, but will be open to all foreign visitors with valid Chinese visas or residence cards, the official Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily reported. Public Security Bureau officials said the number of places open to foreigners will more than double to 244.

The list of open cities now includes Lhasa, capital of Tibet, and the cities of Urumqi and Turfan in the vast northwestern region of Xinjiang bordering the Soviet Union. Also open are cities along the ancient Silk Road to India, such as Lanzhou, in Gansu province.

With the new regulations, all of China’s 21 provinces, 3 major municipalities and 5 autonomous regions will have Category A areas open to foreign travelers with valid visas.