China handles nearly 5.19m entry-exit trips during Qingming holiday

BEIJING - Border inspection agencies across China handled nearly 5.19 million entry and exit trips during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday that ended Saturday, data from the National Immigration Administration (NIA) showed Sunday.

The daily average of entry and exit trips soared to 1.73 million, an increase of 69.6 percent compared with the same period of 2023, according to the NIA.

Among the total trips, about 2.27 million entry and exit trips were made by residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, marking an increase of 35.9 percent year-on-year.

Residents from the Chinese mainland made over 2.42 million inbound and outbound trips, up 101.7 percent over the same period last year.

The number of entry and exit trips by foreigners reached 500,000, an increase of 163.2 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

Border ports undertook various initiatives to streamline customs clearance, such as providing timely updates on entry and exit passenger flow to assist travelers in planning their trips effectively, opening sufficient inspection channels to ensure swift and smooth customs clearance, and strictly ensuring that the queue-up time for Chinese citizens does not exceed 30 minutes.

Considering the significant influx of people, particularly elderly individuals, from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan returning to their ancestral homes on the mainland to pay tribute to their ancestors during the holiday, special inspection channels have been set up to expedite entry and exit procedures. Assistance is also available for the elderly, children and other passengers facing difficulties or those requiring special care.