On January 8 China opened its doors to the outside world, finally allowing people overseas to return to or visit the Middle Kingdom without having to quarantine. And (as if you needed reminding) those of us living in China can finally go abroad and come back hassle-free. 

Although a trip abroad or back to your home country might be on the top of your list (as it is ours), China’s sudden ditching of COVID-19 restrictions opens a plethora of doors and opportunities that you may have forgotten about after three long years.  

Below is our list of five things that we can’t wait to return to China in this post-COVID-19 world. 

Traveling Abroad

Image via Wikimedia

Shortly after China announced it would be ditching its ‘zero-COVID’ policy, Trip.com saw its shares jump by 9.2% as investors anticipate a boom for China’s travel industry. 

Where will you be heading to in 2023? Let us know in the comments below.

Family Members Being Able to Visit

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We’ll forgive you if you blow your entire year’s salary and annual leave on trips to sunny South Asian beaches, but your mother and father may not. However, in post-COVID China, visa applications will return to normal, meaning you’ll be able to have a hot pot with the entire family before you know it.

Domestic Sporting Events 

2022 was a terrible year for sports in China. The Chinese Super League was largely played without spectators in four stadiums spread throughout the country. Furthermore, many marathons and amateur sporting events were canceled because of outbreaks or because cities wanted to avoid large crowds of people. 

Towards the end of 2022, some cities did start hosting marathons again, but we expect many sporting events to return in 2023-24.

International Sporting Events to Be Bigger and Better

Image via Wikimedia

Speaking of sports, China did manage to host one of the world’s largest international sporting events during ‘zero-COVID.’ Although the Beijing Winter Olympics went off without a hitch, watching these huge spectacles without huge crowds just doesn’t seem right.

So, what can we expect in the future? We would hazard a guess at heavyweight boxer Zhang Zhilei and UFC champion Zhang Weili fighting on home sole. But there’s also the Grand Prix which could return to Shanghai in 2024 and who knows, maybe China will bid for a FIFA World Cup. 

International Acts 

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The That's team are very excited to be heading to the Clockenflap festival in Hong Kong in March, where some of the world's biggest bands and performers will be live on stage. More of this in 2023 and beyond please!

New Friends or Old Ones Returning

Image via Wikimedia

We're sure you've all had close friends leave China either during the initial outbreak or due to ‘zero-COVID’ policies. However, as visas become more attainable old friends could return and China could see an influx of foreign talent, the latter of which will bring economic improvements and increase competition in the job market (which will ultimately benefit different sectors). 

[Cover image via Science Borealis]