Twelve visitors from Australia, the Netherlands, Argentina and Russia have become the first group of foreign tourists to take advantage of China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy to enjoy a complimentary one-day city tour of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Thursday.

They started from Terminal 2 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on 8:30 am and returned to the airport at about 2:30 pm to continue their trips.

According to information released by the Guangzhou Bureau of Culture, Broadcast, Television and Tourism, the foreign guests visited Huacheng Square, Canton Tower, Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou Opera House and Guangzhou Library to appreciate the modern urban architecture style of Guangzhou and the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Yuexiu Park — home to the iconic five-ram statue, to sense the essence of Lingnan (South China) traditional culture during their six-hour city tour.

The city tour, which is organized by Guangzhou-based GZL International Travel Service, also includes a free Cantonese-style dim sum lunch and English-speaking tourist guide, it said.

Meanwhile the first group foreign guests to tour the city were also given a piece of Yue embroidery, also known as Guang embroidery, as a gift. Yue embroidery is a general name for embroidery products of the regions of Guangzhou, Shantou, Zhongshan, Panyu and Shunde in Guangdong province.

And starting Thursday, the special transfer counter at the International Arrival Hall of T2 in Guangzhou Baiyun Airport has officially begun its services, said the news release.

Passengers who hold foreign passports and make international transfers at Guangzhou can register for free city tour upon their arrival to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and local customs of Guangzhou, known as a millennium commercial capital and the southern gateway of China, it said.

As an important international aviation hub, Guangzhou, with a history of more than 2,200 years, has continuously enhanced the entry experience of foreign tourists by providing free one-day tours for international transit tourists and utilizes the firsthand experience of foreign tourists to promote "China Travel", enhancing Guangzhou's international communication influence and helping it build a world-class tourist destination.

Guangdong province has offered travelers from more than 50 nations and regions to enjoy the 144-hour visa-free visit from May 2019, with an aim to further promote the province's tourism industry.

And the provincial capital city Guangzhou, as one of the gateway cities implementing the visa-free transit policy, in the mainland, has now become a popular city for foreign tourist to enjoy the visa-free entry services in recent years thanks to the hub advantage of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport that has opened many international routes to link the city to the rest of the world, it added.