英语新闻丨北京将向外国游客推出一卡通国际卡Beijing Pass

Beijing's public transportation system is set to become more foreigner-friendly, with the Chinese capital testing the feasibility of introducing an all-in-one city travel pass.进入暑期，北京各大景区的外国游客明显增多。为了方便外籍乘客出行，北京计划推出一卡通国际卡Beijing Pass。未来，外籍人士可持Beijing Pass卡在北京轨道交通刷闸乘车。For starters, the Beijing Pass will enhance the convenience of subway travel for foreign visitors, who will be able to use their international bank cards to purchase the pass at the city's seven railway stations and two airports that have integrated subway lines.为配合一卡通国际卡Beijing Pass顺利上线，地铁车站正在进行现场测试，后续预计在“七站两场”（七大火车站、两座机场）地铁站内面向外籍人士发售，方便外国朋友持卡在北京轨道交通刷闸乘车。To facilitate the smooth launch of the Beijing Pass, subway stations are currently undergoing on-site testing, the city authorities said on Wednesday.7月31日，北京市政府表示，地铁车站正配合其上线进行现场测试。Wu Liyun, a professor at the China Academy of Culture and Tourism of Beijing International Studies University, said the Beijing Pass will allow foreign visitors to explore the city at their convenience, without having to worry about payment hurdles while using public transportation."If the pass can be integrated with Alipay, a widely used Chinese digital payment platform, it will also save time and make it easier for foreigners to use public transportation," Wu said.北京第二外国语学院中国文化和旅游产业研究院教授吴丽云表示：“如果Beijing Pass与支付宝合并，也将节省时间，外国游客更容易上手。”Beijing Pass将让外国游客在其空闲时探索北京，免受乘坐公共交通工具时的付款障碍。Beijing's new foreigner-friendly move comes at a time when the city is witnessing a rapid increase in the number of overseas visitors. The capital has already introduced several facilities to serve them better.这两年，交通行业推出一系列措施，服务来京的外国游客。For example, all 335 stations across the 17 lines managed by Beijing Subway have been equipped with point-of-sale machines as of June 1. These machines allow foreign passengers to purchase tickets using international bank cards. The authorities plan to introduce additional services, such as allowing foreigners to use their international bank cards directly at the platform gates.为提升外籍乘客地铁出行支付便利性，6月1日起，北京地铁所辖17条线路335座车站完成了POS机铺设，外籍乘客可通过POS机，使用外国银行卡支付购票乘车。Ronan, a French international student in Beijing, said the plan to introduce an all-in-one public transportation card is a welcome move.在北京的法国留学生罗南（Ronan，音译）表示，引入一卡通国际卡是一项十分受欢迎的举措。"My friends who visited Beijing couldn't use Alipay for public transportation because they didn't have Chinese phone numbers. Alipay is quite convenient for foreigners who have lived in big cities for a while, but for foreign tourists, the new option (Beijing Pass) will be better," he said.他表示：“我的朋友之前去北京时没有中国电话号码，也不会使用支付宝乘坐公共交通工具。对于在大城市生活很长时间的外国人来说使用支付宝也许很方便，但对于外国游客来说，（使用）一卡通国际卡更简单。”In addition to taking steps to streamline payment services, Beijing Subway has piloted the installation of multilingual translation devices at eight stations that foreign travelers frequently visit, such as Tian'anmen West on Line 1, to offer them more accurate and detailed information about subway schedules.北京地铁公司在1号线八通线天安门西等8座车站试点配置了多语种翻译机，支持多国语言翻译，为外国游客提供更准确的地铁信息。Furthermore, bilingual announcements in Chinese and English have been started at major railway stations, the two airports, and subway stations near tourist attractions.此外，在“七站两场”及景点周边车站，增设中英文个性化广播，车站适时启用或切换中英文个性化广播，有效减少外籍乘客问询次数。According to data from the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, as of Monday, the number of entries and exits at Beijing's ports exceeded 10 million this year, surpassing the total number for the whole of last year.北京出入境边防检查总站数据显示，截至7月29日15时30分，北京口岸2024年以来出入境人员量已突破1000万人次，是2023年同期的2.5倍，已超2023年全年出入境人员总量。Among these people, more than 1.2 million were inbound foreign visitors, a year-on-year increase of 210 percent.其中入境外国人120.3万余人次，同比增长210%。Apart from Beijing, other major cities in China such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, are also making public transportation more accessible for international visitors by introducing similar passes and allowing taxi fares to be paid with international credit cards.除北京外，中国其他一线城市如上海和广州，也计划推出类似的一卡通，并支持使用外国银行卡支付购票乘车，方便外国游客出行。China Academy of Culture and Tourism of Beijing International Studies Universityn.北京第二外国语学院中国文化和旅游产业研究院Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspectionn.北京出入境边防检查总站