* This summer, as a relentless heatwave sweeps across the globe, the unique cool escapes are turning "China Cool" into the latest buzzword on overseas social media, hot on the heels of "China Travel." By late July, bookings for inbound summer trips had jumped more than 20 percent from a year earlier.* Data from Trip.com shows that among the top 20 source markets for inbound travel to China this summer, European countries accounted for 30 percent, with orders surging by 275 percent year on year and ticket sales rocketing by over 2,000 percent.* For many inbound travelers, "China Cool" is about more than just lower temperatures; it's a whole new kind of cool, one that's packed with discovery.* This summer surge in travel to China is a vivid snapshot of the country's sustained inbound tourism boom. Data from the National Immigration Administration shows that in the first half of this year, China recorded 22.91 million inbound foreign visits, up 20.4 percent year on year, with 77.7 percent of foreign travelers enjoying visa-free entry facilitation.BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- With the thermometer flirting with 40 degrees Celsius outside, Michael Shedd, a Chicago native, made his way to a hotpot restaurant hidden inside a former air-raid shelter in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Before him sat a bubbling, tongue-numbing spicy broth, yet the heat and humidity didn't seem to bother him at all."I feel it's cool as I get inside, just like there are air conditioners, but there are not. This is amazing," Shedd said.In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the city carved thousands of air-raid shelters into its mountainous terrain. Once serving as sanctuaries for civilians during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, these spaces have now been repurposed as hotpot restaurants, tea houses and venues for Sichuan Opera performances, providing refreshing coolness while also preserving the city's living memories.A foreign tourist interacts with a Sichuan Opera performer at a hotpot restaurant housed in a former underground air-raid shelter in Liangjiang New Area of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)"The temperature inside the shelters remains around 25 degrees Celsius all year round," explained Wang Jing, marketing director of the restaurant. On summer weekends, the restaurant serves over 300 tables a day, with about one in every six diners from overseas."I feel like eating in history. The food is also good. You are never gonna find something like this anywhere in the world," said Shedd, describing the restaurant as "legendary."This summer, as a relentless heatwave sweeps across the globe, these unique cool escapes are turning "China Cool" into the latest buzzword on overseas social media, hot on the heels of "China Travel." By late July, bookings for inbound summer trips had jumped more than 20 percent from a year earlier.Data from Trip.com shows that among the top 20 source markets for inbound travel to China this summer, European countries accounted for 30 percent, with orders surging by 275 percent year on year and ticket sales rocketing by over 2,000 percent.NATURAL RETREATSWith its vast expanse and climatic diversity, ranging from high-altitude plateaus and forested mountains to coastal shores, China offers an abundance of natural cooling destinations that are drawing international visitors in search of summer relief.Foreign tourists enjoy themselves at the Haihong Wetland Park in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 26, 2026. (Photo by Zheng Yi/Xinhua)Huangshizhai, a scenic area within Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in central China's Hunan Province, sits at an elevation of over 1,200 meters, where dense forests and mountain winds keep it naturally pleasant. Data over the past five years show that average summer temperatures from June to August at the major tourist sites of the park have ranged between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius."For me, it's been a wonderful trip. I'm here with my family, surrounded by nature and spending time with Chinese friends. It feels great," said French tourist Isabelle Sala Jaboule as she walked along a trail in Huangshizhai. "It's very hot in France right now, but here we can breathe fresh air and feel so much cooler."Zhangjiajie National Forest Park recorded over 100,000 inbound tourist arrivals in July, a year-on-year increase of 46.78 percent, with travelers from 148 countries and regions, according to local authorities.Tourists from Vietnam pose for a group photo at the Jiuzhaigou scenic spot in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)The same surge is unfolding in China's northeast. At the Changbai Mountain Scenic Area in Jilin Province, perched on the "golden summer escape" belt at 42 degrees north latitude, daily visitors have topped 30,000 since the summer rush began in July, with the total number of overseas tourists up 38 percent from the same period last year."This summer, we've seen notable growth in tour groups from Europe, the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Overseas visitors have shown a strong preference for nature-based activities such as forest hiking and splashing in mountain streams, with the area's consistently cool temperatures the key draw," a staff member at the scenic area said."Yesterday we visited the west slope of Changbai Mountain, and today we came to the north slope. We've been greeted by waves of cool mountain air. I just want to etch all the scenery before my eyes deep into memory," said Choi Suk-rye, a traveler from the ROK. "This is my first time in China, and I hope I can come back often," added Ahn Sun-mi, also from the ROK.URBAN CHILLBy 2025, China had 150.6 air conditioners for every 100 households -- that's more than 1.5 per household, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Over the years, the country has been taking that cooling power beyond the home and into every corner of public life, including shopping malls, neighborhood cooling stations, underground shelters, and transit hubs alike.At Huaqiangbei, a sprawling electronics marketplace in south China's tech hub Shenzhen, French visitor Jocelyne had been wandering through a mall for over an hour. "There's air conditioning everywhere in China. It's very comfortable," she said, pointing to a portable fan she had spotted. "I'd like to get a few to take back for my friends.""For European visitors from places where air conditioning is not yet ubiquitous, the sheer availability of cool, air-conditioned spaces almost everywhere in China can be quite a revelation," said Yang Yong, who works for an international travel agency.This photo taken on July 3, 2026 shows a rooftop misting system at a residential community in Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo by Yan Xin/Xinhua)At a shopping mall called The Ring in Chongqing, visitors are greeted not by endless rows of shops, but by a lush indoor rainforest. With misting systems and carefully designed lighting, the mall keeps the temperature at about 21 degrees Celsius."The scenery in the mall has become quite popular on overseas social media, so I came here to see it for myself," said Avidar, who was visiting from Jordan. "It's not only a cool place to escape the summer heat, but also a feast for the eyes."The refreshing experience extends beyond the mall. In the Mountain City Alley historic district of Chongqing, a 400-meter-long pedestrian walkway has been transformed into a "cooling corridor," where misting systems and shaded areas reduce the perceived temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius.In addition, 23 subway stations in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, have set up cooling-off areas equipped with benches since June 21. They're open to everyone, no ticket or transit card required. The service will run until the end of September.Residents enjoy leisure time at a rest area of a metro station to cool off in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)DEEPER STAYSThanks to China's expanding visa-free transit policy and improving travel facilitation measures, this summer has brought a notable shift in inbound tourism. Visitors are staying longer and going deeper.For many inbound travelers, "China Cool" is about more than just lower temperatures; it's a whole new kind of cool, one that's packed with discovery. Whether they're practicing traditional Chinese fitness exercises like Baduanjin, sipping tea, diving into intangible heritage, or zipping across the country on high-speed trains, paying with their phones, and wandering through tech hubs, tourists are picking up on China's cultural depth and innovative pulse, one small moment at a time.A foreign tourist looks on as local women make Tiaohua cross-stitch embroidery, a traditional handicraft passed down through generations by women of Huayao, a branch of Yao ethnic group, in Huxingshan Yao Township of Longhui County, Shaoyang City, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 4, 2026. (Photo by Zeng Yong/Xinhua)For example, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, a popular inbound destination, travelers who stayed four to seven days made up 35 percent of the total, and those who stayed longer than a week accounted for 23 percent, according to a Trip.com official.Juan Antonio from Spain is one of them. On his eighth trip to China this summer, he made a beeline for Yunnan. Before he even arrived, he'd already devoured several books about the province.In Yunnan's capital Kunming, he made sure to visit Yuantong Temple, a 1,200-year-old Buddhist site. "Here, an ancient temple gazes calmly across at a high-rise a hundred meters away," Antonio observed. "That's the China I came to understand."Antonio said his itinerary will take him from northwest Yunnan all the way to the south, with stops in Dali to try ethnic tie-dye, Lijiang to explore ancient Naxi dwellings, Shangri-la to view the sunrise over the snow-capped peaks, and Yuanyang to take in the breathtaking vista of its famed rice terraces.For Bilal Badri, a Dutch visitor, the journey to Chongqing was inspired by a video game, "Cyberpunk 2077." At an observation deck perched on top of a skyscraper, he stepped out over the edge in a safety harness, striking poses against the city's dazzling nightscape for what he called a "once-in-a-lifetime shot.""The whole city looked very cyberpunk," he said, adding that Chongqing's layered, one-of-a-kind experiences invite travelers to discover it in ways far beyond the usual sightseeing.Tourists from Egypt take selfies in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)Similar stories can be seen across the country. This summer surge in travel to China is a vivid snapshot of the country's sustained inbound tourism boom. Data from the National Immigration Administration shows that in the first half of this year, China recorded 22.91 million inbound foreign visits, up 20.4 percent year on year, with 77.7 percent of foreign travelers enjoying visa-free entry facilitation."A China that pursues peaceful development, buzzes with innovation, and pulses with cultural richness is winning ever-greater trust and recognition around the world," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news briefing in late July. "We welcome more international friends to come and feel the warmth and vitality of a Chinese summer for themselves."(Reporting by Cui Enhui, Tian Ye, Zhao Jiale and Yang Shiyan; Video reporters: Yang Shiyan and Zhao Jiale; Video editors: Li Ziwei and Zhu Cong) ■