People check in at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on April 4, 2024, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays. Photo: VCG

During the Qingming Festival, a total of 5.189 million passenger trips were recorded across Chinese border ports, an increase of 69.6 percent year-on-year. Among them, foreigners made 500,000 passenger trips, marking a significant increase of 163.2 percent compared to last year amid a series of measures to facilitate entry of foreign nationals.

According to China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Sunday, during the Qingming Festival holidays, a total of 5.189 million passenger trips were recorded across Chinese border ports, at an average of 1.73 million trips per day.

Among them, residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan made 2.267 million passenger trips, an increase of 35.9 percent compared to the same period last year. 

According to the NIA, in response to the influx of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents returning hometown to honor their ancestors, special inspection channels were established to facilitate their entry and exit during the holidays.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), during the Qingming Festival holidays, multiple entry and exit ports in Hong Kong experienced a peak in the number of people passing through, with many Hong Kong residents choosing to travel to mainland. 

From March 28 to April 4, there have been over 7.8 million entries and exits in Hong Kong, with an average of approximately 980,000 entries and exits per day, a 46 percent increase compared to the same period last year. On the day of the Qingming Festival, which falls on April 4 this year, over 1.01 million passenger trips were recorded through Hong Kong, an increase of about 52 percent compared to last year, with around 70 percent being Hong Kong residents, according to CCTV.

High cost-effectiveness and diverse choices are important reasons why many Hong Kong residents choose to travel north during the holidays, while continuous innovation in customs policies and increasingly improved transportation infrastructure also provide more conveniences for traveling to mainland.

Some Hong Kong residents said that they have been frequently traveling to mainland for shopping during the holidays, finding cities such as Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province better value for money and offering excellent service, with smooth customs clearance and convenient entry and exit procedures. Hong Kong residents are full of confidence in the development of the Greater Bay Area, they said.

The NIA revealed that mainland residents made a total of 2.422 million passenger trips through Chinese border ports, marking an increase of 101.7 percent compared to the previous year. Additionally, 500,000 foreigners passed through the country's border, reflecting a 163.2 percent increase over the same period last year.

The remarkable growth in the number of foreigners arriving in China after a series of measures facilitating entries of foreign nationals were conducted. On March 1, the People's Bank of China (PBC) announced measures to guide Chinese payment platforms to increase the single transaction limit for foreign nationals using mobile payment services from $1,000 to $5,000 and the annual transaction limit from $10,000 to $50,000, as part of efforts to enhance payment convenience. 

China's leading payment platforms Alipay and Weixin Pay have also introduced a series of measures to improve payment services for foreign nationals. Major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai have stepped up efforts to improve means of payment for foreign travelers, a move to promote inbound tourism and high-level opening-up.

In January, the NIA announced that foreign nationals can enjoy 24-hour direct transit without undergoing border check procedures at nine major airports in cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xiamen, and Guangzhou, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Additionally, multiple-entry visas are available for foreigners, while the application requirements for visa documents have been streamlined for foreigners visiting the country, according to the NIA.

Global Times