Chengdu eases city navigation to offer more convenience ahead of World Games

International visitors to Chengdu, the host city of the upcoming 2025 World Games in Sichuan province, are finding it easier to navigate the city with newly introduced transit payment options that accept overseas-issued bank cards.

Joshua Yeh, a Canadian student at Sichuan University who recently returned to Chengdu from Canada, said he was amazed by the option to use his Visa card to ride the metro.

"No apps, no cash, just tap to travel," Yeh said. "This is perfect for first-time travelers to China, especially for those who don't have Alipay or WeChat, like my mom."

A Hungarian tourist, who only identified himself as Antal, used his overseas-issued bank card to take a bus from downtown to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the suburbs.

"This makes exploring the city much easier for me," he said.

Xu Jing, deputy director of Chengdu Metro's ticket data center, said more than 10,000 devices and 30 systems across the entire metro network had been upgraded to enable contactless fare payment.

"As of July 28, passengers can use UnionPay cards as well as Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards issued overseas to tap at the fare gates for direct entry at all metro stations," Xu said. Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to offer the "tap and ride" service, following Beijing and Shanghai.

Passengers must ensure that their bank cards have activated the small-amount password-free payment function in advance and have sufficient balance or credit available, she added.

Overseas-issued bank cards can also be used to purchase single-journey tickets and day passes at metro ticket vending machines.

To further improve the experience for foreign travelers, Chengdu Metro has installed bilingual Chinese-English signs throughout its network, and all trains and stations now feature bilingual announcements, according to Dong Pan, a Chengdu Metro staff member.

"All 423 metro stations are now equipped with real-time translation devices supporting over 10 languages," Dong said. Bilingual volunteers are also available at key stations.

Chengdu Public Transport Group Co also launched a similar "tap and ride" service for overseas-issued UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards across all its bus routes on July 28.

The upgrades are part of a broader effort to position Chengdu as a global tourism destination ahead of the 12th edition of the World Games, which will take place from Thursday to Aug 17.

The World Games is the highest-level international multisport event outside the Olympic Games. This year marks the first time the event will be held on the Chinese mainland.

Organizers said the city is launching new inbound tourism measures, including expanding tax-refund stores and establishing duty-free shopping centers.

Since June, the city's culture, radio, television and tourism bureau has rolled out or planned a wide range of themed activities, tourist routes and immersive travel experiences for international visitors.

Museums, scenic spots and hotels across Chengdu will also offer additional benefits and discounts to World Games spectators, said Qiu Wei, director of the bureau.

"Tourists can visit some museums for free with their ticket stubs from major sports events and enjoy additional discounts when checking into hotels," he said.

Chengdu recorded 984,000 inbound visits in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 51.5 percent.

"We will use the World Games as an opportunity to turn visitor flow into new growth momentum for the cultural and tourism sector," Qiu said.