Chinese and Thai ordinary passport holders receive a free tourist visa of up to 30 days per visit to Nepal under longstanding bilateral visa exemption agreements. No fee is charged. The visa is granted on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu), Pokhara International Airport, and all major land border crossings — a visa document is still physically issued but at zero cost. The annual cap of 150 cumulative days within a single calendar year still applies. China is Nepal's most important bilateral partner after India: China borders Nepal to the north through the Tibet Autonomous Region, and there are land border crossings at Rasuwagadhi-Kerung and Tatopani-Zhangmu. Nepal holds enormous spiritual significance for Chinese Buddhists as the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (the historical Buddha), born in Lumbini in what is now southern Nepal. Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major pilgrimage destination. Thailand's bilateral free-visa arrangement reflects the strong tourism and Buddhist cultural ties between the two countries — Thailand sends significant numbers of Buddhist pilgrims to Lumbini and the Kathmandu Valley's temple circuit.