Twisting off the bottle cap, a foreign woman sniffed lightly at the mouth of the bottle, then took a sip. When asked if it tasted good, she nodded with a smile and said, "It's great!" She then held up the drink to show the camera — aged vinegar cola, a specialty of Datong, a city in North China's Shanxi Province.
The clip, noticed by the Global Times on Xiaohongshu, features a Dutch tourist named Lisa on a trip to Datong, a mid-tier city in northern China.
As inbound tourism continues to boom, more and more foreign travelers are venturing far beyond Beijing, Shanghai and other top-tier hubs. Eager for authentic experiences and hidden gems, they are increasingly exploring China's charming second- and third-tier cities, as well as smaller inland counties and historic towns.
According to a 2026 trend report on foreign tourism in China released by Xiaohongshu in April, international travelers are broadening their footprints beyond China's first-tier cities to embrace more distinctive regional destinations. High-speed rail, cycling and hiking have become their favored ways to explore county-level areas across the country, Guangzhou Daily reported.
Another travel vlog documenting Lisa's itinerary in Datong traces her footsteps around the city, showing her visiting the Yungang Grottoes and trying local delicacies, the Global Times reporter noticed. Chrissi, a tourist from Germany, also traveled to Datong this year and visited attractions such as the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple. "In Datong, the first thing I felt was relaxation. Unlike Beijing, where travelling anywhere takes a long time, this smaller city boasts a stronger everyday lifestyle vibe," she said, according to media outlet Economic View.
Endowed with profound cultural heritage, Datong is gaining rising popularity among foreign visitors. According to Datong Daily, platform data showed that as of February 17, Datong saw 735 percent growth in inbound tourism popularity, ranking first nationwide.
Beyond Datong, destinations including Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu Province, Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, Luoyang in Central China's Henan Province, and Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning Province have also become favored picks among foreign visitors. During the May Day holidays, many overseas travelers shared videos and photos praising these small cities' scenery, with captions such as "small cities, stunning scenery."
Tour groups are also opting for China's non-first-tier cities. According to CCTV News, a Spanish group took a six-day tour of rural counties in East China's Zhejiang Province in April, visiting Qingtian, Yunhe and Songyang counties in Lishui. Travelers immersed themselves in stone carving art, marveled at porcelain craftsmanship, took in the layered scenery of terraced fields, and enjoyed a tranquil night tour of a wetland with fireflies. An Austrian tourist praised the trip, saying: "The itinerary is wonderfully diverse and absolutely fantastic."
"A growing number of international travelers opting to explore China's non-first-tier cities is driven by the diversified development of the country's tourism offerings and travel routes, as well as distinctive local cultural exploration and immersive experience programs," said Jiang Yiyi, a tourism and sports expert at Beijing Sport University.
Stepping into these mid-sized and small cities, international visitors can admire natural landscapes and cultural relics while also immersing themselves in local customs and everyday life, Jiang said, noting that this allows them to get a firsthand taste of regional development. "Such immersive, on-the-ground experience enables foreign tourists to truly perceive, observe and understand China in a comprehensive and authentic way that no other approach can replace," she said.