The Zhuhai General Frontier Inspection Station recorded 1.81 million border crossings during the week-long Spring Festival holiday (Jan 21 to 27), a surge of 66.7 percent compared with last year's holiday statistics. 

A total of 75,800 vehicles and ships also crossed the boundary during the holiday, soaring by 64.8 percent year-on-year. 

Gongbei Checkpoint, with the largest passenger throughput in China, saw 1.09 million border crossers this year, with a year-on-year growth of 39.99 percent. 

The number of cross-border passengers and vehicles via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Zhuhai Port reached 1.21 million and 30,000 respectively, up 236 percent and 89 percent respectively from the previous year. 

Passengers line up to go through customs inspection at HZMB Zhuhai Port [Photo by Cheng Lin and Wang Xiangguo / Zhuhai Daily]

The Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin launched a series of cultural tourism activities during the holiday to attract more Hong Kong and Macao visitors. Hengqin Checkpoint recorded over 228,000 entry-exit passengers and 27,000 vehicles, growing by 114.8 percent and 85 percent year-on-year. Over 16,000 vehicles with Macao license plates were recorded entering and leaving Hengqin, growing by more than 100 percent.

The passenger flow has recovered to around 60 percent of that in 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Most of the entry-exit passengers are Chinese mainland residents who want to travel or go shopping in Hong Kong and Macao, or Hong Kong and Macao residents that want to visit relatives and travel around the Chinese mainland. 

An official from the Zhuhai General Frontier Inspection Station noted that the station will continue to promote the construction of inspection facilities and optimize inspection procedures to ensure efficient and convenient customs clearance for passengers and vehicles from Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao. 

Moreover, Zhuhai Railway Station dispatched over 174,000 passengers during the holiday and saw over 200,000 passenger arrivals. Officials from Zhuhai Railway Station noted that the travel peak may last until Jan 31 and it is recommended that passengers reserve enough time to transit and go through security checks.