China expects over 750 mln inter-regional trips during Qingming holiday

An aerial drone photo shows tourists visiting Beiwudang scenic area in Shizuishan City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 5, 2024. [Photo by Feng Kaihua from Xinhua]

China reported a significant surge in anticipated inter-regional trips during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday that concludes on Saturday, official data showed. According to Ministry of Transport data, about 752.84 million inter-regional trips were made during the period. An average of 250.95 million such trips are projected to be made each day during the holiday, marking a 56.1-percent increase compared with the same period last year and a 20.9-percent increase from 2019.
In breakdown, road trip passenger traffic is estimated to hit 695.19 million, averaging 231.73 million per day, showing a 55.1-percent surge from a year earlier. Railway trips are projected to amount to 49.74 million, with the daily average trips increasing by 75.3 percent year on year to over 16.58 million. The ministry also predicted that 2.8 million waterway trips were made during the period, while 5.1 million were air trips. China's transport authorities have stepped up efforts to cope with the rising travel demand. The nation's railway operator said it would put an additional 1,163 trains into operation on Saturday. The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival focusing on paying tribute to the dead and the worship of ancestors. During the festival period, Chinese people also tend to indulge in outdoor activities and sightseeing.

China handles nearly 5.19 mln entry-exit trips during Qingming holiday
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.

Edited by Wang Miao 

with reference to <https://english.news.cn/china/index.htm>
and <https://english.news.cn/20240407/b3f4e197735d4ac496ca2c526f96e0b6/c.html>