HANOI - Groups of Chinese travelers will be able to stay in Vietnam's border city of Mong Cai in Quang Ninh province for up to three days without applying for a tourist visa, according to local authorities on Wednesday.

Vietnam's northern Quang Ninh, which borders China, has eased visa requirements for Chinese citizens to encourage travelers to visit Mong Cai.

The new rule is scheduled to take effect at the beginning of 2017.

Following that, Chinese tourists in under-nine-seat passenger cars are allowed to drive back and forth between Mong Cai city and China's Dongxing city.

The pilot implementation period is from now till the end of January 11, 2017, local Lao Dong (Labor) online newspaper quoted Quang Ninh people's committee as saying.

These cars can stay in Vietnam for no more than three days for each permit. If they encounter emergency such as accidents or breakdowns, the extension time will be one more day, said local authorities, adding that the number of cars does not exceed 100 per day.

The northern border city of Mong Cai is a popular travel destination among Chinese holiday makers.

The city recorded a surge in Chinese arrivals during this year's week-long Spring Festival as welcoming about 25,000 visitors.

China is Vietnam's top source of tourists. In the first nine months this year, Vietnam welcomed nearly two million person-times of Chinese visitors, accounting for 27.36 percent of the total foreign arrivals, up 55.9 percent year-on-year, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.