Talking Travel: Apple's New Bike Navigation Feature, Travel Activities Restored for Inter-Provincial Group Tours

New Apple Map feature for Beijing Bikers

With the launch of iOS 14, scheduled for release this September, Apple users will get to experience all kinds of new functions on their iPhone. Beijing's iPhone-toting cyclists, in particular, will be granted a gift in the form of Apple Maps' new bike navigation features that, at first, will only be available in five cities across the world – Beijing and Shanghai being the only Asian cities included. 

Cycling routes

This new biking feature will guide you to safe-biking roads and efficient routes so that you can arrive at your destination on time. 

Elevation Levels

Inclinations are the bane of many bikers' existence, but Maps will now provide you with detailed information about estimated elevation levels so that you can work those calves ahead of time, or simply find an alternate route.

Warning icons

Maps will indicate the presence of obstacles that cyclists might have difficulty with, including the aforementioned elevation gains, particularly busy streets, stairs, and bike-free zones.

Didi to test digital RMB

With digital- and crypto-currencies on a global rise, China’s central bank has been working to get ahead of the curve with its own digital RMB. Recently, the bank announced that it will be partnering with Didi Chuxing to test the function of the “almost ready” digital cash, giving a boost to both Didi's supremacy over the ridesharing market and the currency itself. 

Besides Didi, the central bank also plans to test the virtual currency on Meituan, given that the delivery juggernaut hosts billions of RMB in daily transactions.

China restores travel activities for inter-provincial group tours. 

On Jul 14, the General Office of the Ministry of China’s Culture and Tourism ministry issued a notice, announcing new arrangements for resuming inter-provincial group tours and adjusting restrictions on tourist attractions, China Travel News reports.

With the consent of the party committee and government of the province, travel agencies and online tourism enterprises will be allowed to resume inter-provincial group tourism as well as air ticket and hotel combination deals, unless a traveler is coming from mid- and high-risk areas. However, tourist attractions will continue to implement strict regulations on things like visitor limits, with maximum capacity being capped at 50 percent.

Read: Mandarin Monday: 8 Emperor-Approved Sightseeing Spots in Beijing

Images: Baidu, Bing