People Bought Tents & Chairs to Queue Up Overnight For Chinese Visa in Telok Ayer

Last Updated on 2023-05-08 , 11:30 am

We all know by now that revenge travelling is a thing.

But how far are you willing to go to scratch that itch to travel?

It seems that some locals who are itching to go to China are also very willing to take some desperate measures to satiate their need to visit that destination.

Hence, the snaking queues were seen in front of the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre at Robinson Road. An overnight queue, no less.

Here’s what we know about our comrades’ thirst to travel to China.

Snaking Queues Seen for Chinese Visa Applications

Many locals have been spotted queueing overnight outside the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre near Telok Ayer MRT station in a bid to get their visas before travelling to China.

The extent of such desires has even prompted some individuals to come with “gear” to survive the long queues. Some people in the long queue were seen with picnic mats laid out so that they could chope their spot in some comfort.

Others turned to staying in tents to spend the night in the queue. Others brought small chairs and stools to make their life easier. Fans were also spotted at the scene.

We think these people must be the high SES locals amongst us.

Then again, with the soaring temperatures in Singapore scorching us from the inside and outside, we can’t blame these people for trying to cool themselves down while they wait in line.

In a video posted on Xiaohongshu by user @May, snaking queues can be seen with many people lying on the floor trying to get some rest. Xiaohongshu, which literally translates to “The Little Red Book”, is a popular Chinese social media platform.

According to the user @May, she joined the queue last Wednesday, 3 May 2023, at around 9.30 pm at night to get a visa for her trip to China. When she arrived, she received queue number 40, and after midnight, the queue had extended so far that she could no longer see the end of the queue.

There is an option for booking visas online, though user May laments that the slots for June and July were fully booked when she tried to get an online booking. As she was rushing to return to China, she decided to put her foot down and head to the physical office to get a visa.

It seems like many others in Singapore had the same idea as her, hence the long queues. Great minds think alike.

Another Singaporean shared his experience online, which was, unsurprisingly, quite similar to that posted by user May.

TikTok user @bernardlow1972 posted a video on the social media platform showing the long snaking queues for the visa. The 49-second video was filmed from a first-person point of view and showcased only a part of the long queue.

@bernardlow1972早期起鸟儿有虫吃？；不一定♬ original sound – bernardlow6 – Bernard Low 刘振池

Similar to what May mentioned on Xiaohongshu, people could be seen standing, sitting and lying in queues. Many foldable chairs and mats were spotted as those in line made themselves comfortable.

Stomp user Jeremy reported that there were “ridiculously long” lines outside the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre. He had allegedly arrived at 3 am to queue for a visa application and was the 105th person in line.

Jeremy further shared that the queue had begun at 6 pm the day before. Perhaps some office workers capitalised on their work-from-office day to queue for a visa right after ending work?

But in any case, Jeremy was not alone. Facebook user Ronald Deng also shared a similar experience.

Mr Deng mentioned in a post made on 3 May 2023 that he reached the visa application queue at about 3.10 am and found out that there were 150 people in front of him. This was his second attempt at getting a visa, as he had been turned away the day before when he reached at 8 am.

For Mr Deng, it seems like the early bird does get the worm after all.

In photos attached to the post, Mr Deng can be seen sitting in the queue and later lying on the floor (though he looked very much awake). All for the gram, we suppose (or Facebook post).

The video Mr Deng posted also showed an extremely long line that never seemed to end, even though he had walked quite a distance during the one-minute and 13-second video.

To maintain the order of the queue, a police car was also seen near the queue, though that could have been part of a routine surveillance route.

As a tongue-in-cheek comment, Mr Deng also mentions that the “most powerful passport in the world” had to go on “bended knees” due to China’s requirement for a travel visa.

We hope the “bended knee” initiative does grant some of you some travel respite in China. Do note that you may still be required to take certain COVID-19-related tests as part of the travel to China.

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China Resumed Visa Issuance for Travellers in March This Year

As China slowly opens its doors to travellers after the COVID-19 pandemic, the visa application process has been the critical pillar slowing the influx of travellers into China.

As of 15 March 2023, foreigners are now allowed to apply for all sorts of visas into China, including those for tourism and medical treatment. The multi-year visas issued before the pandemic would also resume their validity and function.

That said, not all travellers need to apply for a visa when entering China. There are several exceptions to the visa requirement. Life hacks for those who want to cut queues without getting beat up by the people behind them.

For one, travellers entering Shanghai via cruise are exempted from a Visa.

Also, visitors who are in Hong Kong or Macau may enter Guangdong without applying for a visa beforehand.

Hainan may also receive visitors who do not have a valid visas. Hainan consists of various islands in the South China Sea and may be a good escapade location for those seeking a seaside getaway.

Guilin and Guangxi allow for ASEAN tour groups to enter these scenic areas without a visa as well. Guilin is famous for its natural topography and picturesque mountains, so travellers who do not wish to brave the visa application queues can utilise this exception to get their fill of China.

Singaporeans had previously enjoyed 15 days of visa-free travel in China, but that luxury has not been reinstated since COVID-19 ravaged the world.

Other Instances of Long Queues in Singapore

While other countries may proudly boast their natural scenery to others, Singapore’s queueing craze could qualify as a “wonder of the world”.

Queueing has become a national pastime of sorts, with locals willing to stand in line for various reasons.

Here are some notable instances when locals spent considerable time and effort queuing.

Last month, some netizens devoted their precious time to queueing for a free chicken bag from Texas Chicken Singapore. The fast food chain offered the chicken-shaped bag as part of their 13th-anniversary celebration, where customers would get the bag for free if they purchased a 13th-anniversary combo deal for S$13.90. Some outlets’ queues were so long that they reportedly lasted up to five hours.

In 2022, when Daiso announced that it would be increasing the prices of some of its products in Singapore, long queues were spotted at their outlets. Unsurprisingly, many locals wanted to snatch up stationery, homeware and snacks at the economical price of S$2 before Daiso introduced its colour-coded tiered pricing system. The prices post-hike could range from S$2.14 to S$25.47. Thankfully, the queuing was relatively uneventful as counters were opened to facilitate the numerous customers. Quite in line with the Japanese standards, we must say.

Apart from loving to queue, Singaporeans also love a good deal. Back in 2019, Huawei offered a S$54 smartphone deal in line with celebrating the nation’s birthday. The smartphones would otherwise have cost S$198.

This deal for Singaporeans and permanent residents above 50 sparked long queues at Huawei outlets across the island. Further, tensions rose as the handphones sold out at certain outlets, leaving the eager customers disappointed and angry. At one point in time, the number of people in line was estimated at over 1,000.

Would you jump on the queuing bandwagon to get something you want?