Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

Gongbei Checkpoint handled an enormous influx of passengers for tomb-sweeping and other travel goals with 466,100 crossings on April 6, a single-day record breaking one set on March 16.

It is a long-held practice to pay respect to departed family members and relatives on Qingming Festival (or Tomb-Sweeping Day). Some combine visits with tourism options while others take advantage of the extra day off.

The year-on-year rise of 15.49 percent in border crossings was set on the second day of the April 5-7 holiday and resulted from a surge in departures from the Chinese mainland. There were also more returns of Macanese from the birthplaces of their ancestors and/or spring outings. In the meantime, the ever-increasing number of mainland travelers with an Exit-Entry Permit for Traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (L, tour group) rocketed up 109.34 percent year-on-year.

Huge traffic

Now that Chinese citizens may apply for passports and travel permits at every exit and entry management point across the country, mainland travelers are surging in number, according to Zhuhai General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection officers at Gongbei Checkpoint. The policy came into effect as of April 1 with approval by the National Immigration Administration.

Smooth crossings despite the huge passenger volume in Gongbei are attributed to opening of all inspection channels including those dedicated to the elderly, children, and ones who need special assistance. More than 78 percent used automated inspection passages and in that way the waiting time was kept within 30 minutes, according to an official. Forecasts on various media encouraged staggered shifts, and business hours were extended.

By processing 135 million crossings in 2018, Gongbei Checkpoint became the busiest in China for the seventh consecutive year. It is the main point of entry between the Chinese mainland and Macao and broke its own records four times last year. Statistics indicate that even more record-breaking days are coming this year.

Smooth crossings [Photos by Zhou Meng to Zhuhai Daily]