PAX On Location: Beijing offers Canadian advisors a first look at China with TripOppo

Twenty-one travel advisors from across Canada joined TripOppo on its 11-day China Agent Fam Tour, China Highlights with Terracotta Warriors, visiting Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai.

Led by Oscar Chiu, sales manager in Toronto, the tour provides advisors with first-hand experience of China, combining the country’s rich history and culture with the ease of travelling through modern China.

“It’s important to promote China as a destination now. There is a lot of misconception about what modern China is like,” said Chiu. 

“This FAM trip is to introduce agents especially to learn about Chinese culture, to learn about the history and the background. Not just to sell the product, but [to show] that it’s not as intimidating to go to China anymore. Everything is convenient and easy, so travellers can feel safe and comfortable to come here," added Chiu.

The timing comes as China becomes more accessible to Canadian travellers. 

Canadian citizens holding ordinary passports can currently enter China visa-free for stays up to 30 days for tourism and other qualifying purposes, under a policy in effect until December 31, 2026.

TripOppo has also established its own destination management company (DMC) in Hangzhou giving the company a local presence for its in-destination. 

The company says having teams on both sides of the world allows it to respond more efficiently to emergencies, flight delays, and other tour-related matters to minimize any guest inconveniences.

Beijing’s iconic landmarks

China’s capital is a centre of political, cultural, and educational life, offering visitors a mix of imperial history, monumental landmarks, and the pace of a modern metropolis.

“Beijing has been such a wonderful first impression! The sheer number of people is something else – a city buzzing with life, yet everything seems to flow with an incredible sense of order,” shared Paula Mullin, travel advisor at True North Travel (TTAND) in Newfoundland.

“Ancient history, modern life, fascinating culture, delicious food, and people everywhere you look! We’ve only scratched the surface, but China is already giving us memories to last a lifetim," Mullin added.

Among Beijing’s signature attractions are Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, two landmarks that offer visitors a window into China’s political and imperial past. 

The vast square sits at the heart of the capital, while the Forbidden City served as the imperial palace for centuries and is now a major cultural attraction.  

The Great Wall 

Among the highlights of the Beijing itinerary was the Great Wall of China, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the country’s most recognized landmarks.

TripOppo tour guide, John Zhang, shared stories about the Wall’s role in defending communities and protecting agricultural areas, as well as the system of watchtowers used to communicate warnings and relay information along the wall.

“They used horse riders to pass down emergency information and used the towers to communicate signals,” Zhang said, explaining that combinations of gunshots and columns of fire communicated the scale of an approaching threat. 

“For example, one gunshot and one column of fire represented 100 enemies. Three gunshots and three columns of fire meant 500 enemies while five gun shots and five columns of fire indicated 1,000 enemies. When the soldiers in the watchtowers saw the signals, they relayed the information to the middle station, eventually alerting the general who could send soldiers to defend that section of the Wall," explained Zhang.

The experience left an impression on the visiting advisors.

“Beijing has been such an adventure! From exploring incredible historic sites like the Great Wall to trying new foods like Peking Duck, there’s been something around every corner that makes me stop and say ‘Wow’” said Cindy Dempsey, of No Border Travel in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Beyond the landmarks

Beijing’s culinary traditions offered another way to experience the city, with Peking duck among the highlights. 

The celebrated dish, long associated with imperial cuisine, has become one of Beijing’s best-known culinary specialities, often served to visitors to China.

For a different perspective on the capital, the optional Hutong Life Tour took guests through traditional neighbourhoods by rickshaw for a peek into the real life of Beijing residents.

Hutong translates to “narrow alley ways” and the streets bring together courtyard homes that offer a glimpse into a more communal way of living. 

During the tour, the group visited a local family home to learn how courtyard residences have traditionally served as shared spaces among several families living in close quarters. 

For generations, many homes lacked private bathrooms, making public toilets throughout the hutong neighbourhoods an important part of daily life. 

The communal nature of the hutong offers a quieter contrast to the bustling pace of modern city life in Beijing. 

Beyond Beijing’s headline attractions, TripOppo’s itinerary introduced advisors to other aspects of the capital through visits to the UNESCO-listed Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, along with a jade museum, and a traditional Chinese medicine health centre.

What surprised advisors about modern China 

The city’s landmarks tell one story. But advisors were also forming impressions of everyday life in modern Beijing.

“One of the things that impressed me the most about Beijing was how organized everything is. Though there is a lot of traffic, it’s coordinated traffic, and people do respect signs. In some other countries, you feel like you’re going to get hit by the bus,” said Maria Ungaro-Costanzo, of Expedia Cruises Midtown.

Vacation consultant, Kimberly Frank of Expedia Cruises New Market in Aurora, was similarly struck by her first impressions of the city. 

“I’m very impressed with how clean everything is. No litter, lots of greenery and so modern. My initial thoughts before here I thought it was sort of dirty but I didn’t see any of that at all," said Frank.

Local expertise makes a difference 

Having an in-country team available to respond to issues and adjust itineraries can be particularly valuable when unexpected circumstances affect a tour.

The group’s time in Beijing coincided with the fifth plenary session of the 20^th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held from Oct 26 - 29. 

According to the TripOppo team, the meetings brought additional security measures and roadblocks to parts of central Beijing, creating potential delays and making it more challenging to move between attractions.

“One of the advantages for TripOppo is that we’ve opened our own DMC in Hangzhou, so everything on the trip is handled within China. There is no time difference, which makes it more efficient to handle emergencies,” said Chiu.

“We experienced long delays, and we anticipated roadblocks and delays throughout Beijing. We were able to change the itinerary right away and move activities around to make the tour more efficient.”

Ready for the next stop 

With Beijing’s historic landmarks and cultural experiences behind them, the group boarded  China’s high-speed bullet train, travelling at speeds up to 350 km/hour for the next stop on the FAM, Xi’an. 

More to come on PAX’s adventure with Tripoppo in China.  

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