WE’VE just come back to work after China’s National Day holiday, a weeklong hiatus from the daily grind. Time off is a great thing, but we often encounter issues that we only tend to run into when we’re out and about enjoying those blessed days.

I’m only human, so today I’ll talk about some of my own, and I’ll also let you know how you can avoid lining up at immigration with hundreds of foreign tourists when you come back to China from overseas — this will save you a massive amount of time and make returning to the most populated country in the world a bit easier.

Ticket prices

Dramas around ticket prices, especially at tourist attractions, seem to always hit the headlines during time off. This year was no different.

One of the main ticket-related subjects people discussed online and in the media around China during the National Day holidays was price discrepancies, namely preferential ticket prices depending on where an individual comes from.

Many Chinese vented online about visiting other parts of China and finding that ticket prices to attractions were cheaper — or free — for local Chinese, which irked many out-of-town tourists. In other areas, such as 10 scenic spots in Jiangxi Province, foreign passport holders were granted free entry while locals are forced to stump up cold, hard cash.

I can totally understand the sentiment of those who felt discriminated against, but to be honest it was refreshing to see that foreigners were in the favorable position in this instance. A few years ago I worked for several months in Cambodia as a volunteer, and was a little disheartened when, for example, taking long distance buses and finding that “foreigners” had to buy foreigners’ tickets for the same bus at often more than double the standard price. That attitude permeated the entire country.

The biggest issue here seems to be that Chinese locals were favored, while Chinese from other parts of the country (waidiren) were charged standard prices. I think there is some merit to this pricing strategy, though, and it’s one that’s not only employed in China.

Just think how many times you’ve been forced to take visiting friends and family to the same tourist attractions over and over again, and then imagine if you had to pay the full price each time! Locals have a vested interest in attractions in their area, and I don’t disagree with giving them free or discounted entry.

WeChat and Alipay problems for foreigners overseas

I was lucky enough to be able to travel back home to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks, including the National Day holiday period. While last time I went home I was excited and proud to be able to use my WeChat and Alipay to buy things in selected stores (yay, no pesky fees!), this time I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

It is now not possible for foreign nationals who live in China and buy things in China with WeChat and Alipay all the time to use those same platforms overseas due to new policies that require a registered national Chinese ID. We’re foreigners, that’s almost impossible.

The thing that irks me about this is that it makes absolutely no sense and is something that, under the current rules, cannot possibly be remedied. I know foreigners make up a really small percentage of China’s population, but as the country opens up and welcomes more and more of us to live and work here, more attention needs to be spent avoiding these little oversights that make our lives just that little bit harder.

ePassport channel for foreigners returning to China

Now for some good news! For a while now, foreigners who live in China have been able to use the ePassport channel when returning to the country after being overseas, saving lining up with hundreds of foreign tourists for around an hour each time you come back. But, as with many processes for foreigners, information on the ground is limited and often changes, and even airport staff can be completely unaware and send you on a wild goose chase. You’re in luck today, because I’ve done the hard yards and can give you the latest information.

Before I flew to Australia a few weeks ago, I asked an airport police officer at the information desk how I go about registering to use the ePassport channel when returning to China. “You can’t do it out here, you need to go through immigration first.” “Are you sure?” I asked him, knowing that once I went through those doors there would be no turning back. “I’m positive.”

I lined up and went through the security process, which took more than an hour, only to be told on the other end that, in fact, I needed to register before going through immigration. I was furious, as you can probably guess.

When I came back I asked an airport customs staff member again, but I was told that it’s not possible unless I go in and out of China three or more times on my current visa. “That makes no sense, I’ve never heard that before,” I said, politely. “Are you sure?” I asked again, even though it didn’t work the time before. “I’m sure.”

I lined up, with all the foreign tourists, and spent about an hour finally getting to passport control. I must be a masochist because I tried asking one more time, but this time I was thoroughly surprised. “Oh sure, you can register now — just go down to counter number 80 at the end there.”

The same staff member who seems like an eternity earlier tried to stop me again, but this time I was defiant and told her she must be mistaken.

When I arrived at counter 80 there were no people lining up, and no staff members either. Soon someone came out and asked if I wanted to register to use the ePassport channel. “YES!” I screamed excitedly.

Here’s the process:

Ensure your current work visa has more than six months remaining;

Fill in the form which says you agree to having your biometric information collected;

Scan your fingerprints;

Go to the ePassport channel and see a passport control officer who will scan your fingerprints again to activate your application.

That’s it! Now you can rock up to the ePassport channel next time you come back, scan your passport and fingerprints and go straight through to collect your bags.

The holidays are really a time to relax and unwind, but we’re also only human and can’t help noticing issues we don’t normally run into. That’s fine, and I’ll probably do it next holiday as well!