New smart tourism card upgrades for expats in Wuxi

The 2018 smart tourism card allows consumers unlimited entry into seven of Wuxi's most famous scenic spots. [Photo/wxlyykt.com]

Good news for foreign travel enthusiasts in Wuxi: the city's 2018 smart tourism card, which will give you unlimited access to the city's most popular attractions for the whole year, is now on sale for expats for just 198 yuan ($31) per person!

In order to make Wuxi's beauty known to the whole world, foreigners and residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan can now use their passport, identification certificate, or nationality certificate to obtain Wuxi's 2018 smart tourism card starting on March 12, 2018.

Unlike the old paper tourism card, this year's tourism card, under the direction of Wuxi Cultural and Tourism Development Group, has been upgraded to an integrated circuit card (ICC), which can be used for travel, leisure and consumption, in addition to serving as a garden admission certificate. Consumers can renew the card for one additional year after it expires.

However, a Chinese ID card is necessary to ensure the account safety of the new smart tourism card, which prevents minors and expats from obtaining the card before March.

The card will give you unlimited entry into seven of Wuxi's most famous scenic spots: the famous picturesque water towns of Turtle Head Isle Scenic Area (free sightseeing buses and boats are inside) and Liyuan Garden, as well as the Plum Garden, Xihui Scenic Area, Xihui Park, Yinyuan Garden and Dangkou Ancient Town.

Turtle Head Isle Scenic Area is holding a grand cherry blossom festival from March 1 to April 22. [Photo/ifeng.com]

Normally, it would cost 375 yuan in total to visit all of these attractions, but the tourism card will get you access to all of them for just 198 yuan, about half the price.

And of course, the card allows you to visit each attraction multiple times at no extra cost, so buying the card could save you hundreds of yuan over the course of 2018.

You can buy your 2018 smart tourism card at the Wuxi Tourist Service Center (#385, Hongxing Road, Liangxi district) or at the ticket booth of any of the seven scenic spots.

More information can be found at the official website of the city's 2018 smart tourism card: https://www.wxlyykt.com/ or the official WeChat account: wxylyktgw.