Chinese border ports have seen surging numbers of inbound and outbound trips during the first five days of the week-long National Day holiday.
The holiday, starting on October 1 and known as "Golden Week," is one of China's largest annual public holidays.
In the first five days, ports in Beijing saw a total of 240,000 inbound and outbound trips, a year-on-year increase of 40.4 percent, according to data from the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
Among the port crossings, over 20,000 inbound trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 61.2 percent increase from last year. Inbound trips by visitors from Russia, the United States, South Korea and Germany exceeded those from other countries.
As of 17:00 on Saturday, the fifth day of the holiday, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in south China's Guangdong Province handled more than 680,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips on over 700 flights, up 57.8 percent and 51.6 percent, respectively, according to the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
The airport has handled more than 4 million cross-border passenger trips so far this year, up 47.6 percent from the total of last year.
Hekou Port, located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's border province of Yunnan, is the largest port in the Yunnan section of the China-Vietnam border. It has handled over 70,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips as of 17:00 on Saturday, an increase of 15.4 percent year on year.
According to data from the Shandong General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, ports in the eastern province have registered more than 74,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips during the first five days of the holiday, up 20 percent from the same period of last year, of which over 9,000 inbound trips were made by foreign nationals, a year-on-year increase of 19 percent.
Coastal cities, like Shandong's Qingdao and Yantai, have become popular destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.
Ports across China see surging cross-border passengers during National Day holiday
Ports across China see surging cross-border passengers during National Day holiday
A delegation of 40 students and teachers from seven Chinese mainland universities on Thursday wrapped up their nine-day visit to Taiwan. They set off for Taiwan on Nov. 27 and visited universities, historical sites, scenic spots, as well as sports, sci-tech and cultural venues on the island, widely engaging with locals throughout the tour.
The delegation made the tour at the invitation of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation.
"The young people from both sides of the Strait share the same root, and we are having a harmonious communication this time. We also welcome young people from Taiwan to visit the mainland for exchange," Cao Yibo, a student from Peking University, told reporters during the tour.
The delegation included table tennis Olympic champion Ma Long who studies at Beijing Sport University, and air rifle Olympic champion Yang Qian of Tsinghua University.
"In the future, I would like to visit Taiwan again. I did not expect that so many compatriots in Taiwan would come to welcome and us and pay so much attention to our exchange tour," Ma said.
Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, saw off the delegation at the airport on Thursday, and said the mainland students and teachers had received Taiwan residents' heartfelt welcome wherever they went.
"The farewell dinner party was held yesterday evening, when almost all students from the mainland shared their feelings. What moved me so much is that every one of them thanked people here, because the latter sincerely and warmly welcomed them wherever they went during the nine-day tour. They told me that when they go back, they will tell their relatives and friends that people in Taiwan are kind, hospitable and warm. I believe that is the most important purpose of the exchange across the Strait," he said.
Calling youth exchanges a foundation of cross-Strait relations in the future, Hsiao said the foundation will carry on and continue to promote such exchanges across the Strait.
This is the second delegation of mainland teachers and students visiting Taiwan at the invitation of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, following the visit by a first delegation in July last year.
Delegation of mainland university students, teachers wraps up Taiwan visit
