A surge in cross-border travel has swept through the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge in south China during the five-day May Day holiday starting from Friday, as growing numbers of residents from the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao head to the mainland for leisure and tourism.
Since April 29, or Wednesday, the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has recorded 226,000 passenger trips and 52,000 vehicle crossings as of 16:00 on Friday. The current flow is primarily inbound, with many travelers choosing to enter the mainland ahead of the official holiday rush.
According to data from the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the holiday traffic has been predominantly inbound. The port officially entered its peak period on Wednesday, with daily passenger flow averaging around 80,000 people, a 10-percent increase compared to pre-holiday levels. This year's travel boom has come from sharp increase in family tours and parent-child tours.
"Today is the [first day of] May Day holiday, and I'm traveling with my family to Nansha [in Guangzhou] and Zhuhai," said a tourist from Hong Kong.
In addition to Guangdong Province, many other places near Guangdong on the mainland are also among the tourism options of people from Hong Kong and Macao.
"The number of residents from Hong Kong and Macao embarking on in-depth and long-distance tours to provinces on the mainland has seen a significant rise. We've seen an increase of about 20 percent compared to previous periods, with destinations like Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou emerging as popular choices," said Bao Haiyang, a customs officer with the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
According to authorities with the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the vehicle traffic is projected to hit its peak on May 3, or Sunday, with an estimated 28,000 vehicles expected to cross in a single day.
To cope with the high traffic volume, the border inspection station has implemented a specialized operational plan to manage the traffic influx and ensure a smooth and efficient travel experience for everyone.
Holiday travel surges as Hong Kong, Macao residents flock north during May Day holiday
Holiday travel surges as Hong Kong, Macao residents flock north during May Day holiday
Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio has lauded the achievements of high-level diplomacy in building a China-Africa community with a shared future, highlighting recent efforts to give African countries greater access to China's "great market".
In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that was aired on Friday, Bio said that China's new zero-tariff policy for African countries illustrates the country's longstanding approach: always considering the common interests of its friends when pursuing its development path.
China on Friday began implementing an expanded zero-tariff treatment on imports from all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, a landmark move seen as promoting openness and cooperation for the Global South amid rising protectionism and fragmentation in the global economy.
The zero tariffs are also expected to help drive the diversification of African export products, increase their added value and optimize export structures, which will benefit farmers as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, support job creation, and boost people's livelihoods. "China is a great market. China has made sure that products from friends of China could enter that market at zero cost, zero tariff. It is this sort of relationship wherein you give us access to a market of that magnitude, provided all the other criteria are met. So we are looking at a China that can grow with its friends. They are not mutually exclusive. You can grow and still carry your friends along with you, and that is where the world will become a more peaceful place," said Bio.
During the interview, Bio also recalled his past conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, highlighting Xi's insightful views on how developing countries might achieve rapid prosperity. One particular conversation occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"At a time when we were all isolated, everybody was thinking about their own countries. Of course, we had COVID in China at the time, but he still had time to think about a small population, less than one of the cities in China by far. For me, we need this sort of engagement at the highest level for us to genuinely deep dive into our problems. Sharing a table with him at dinner, he (Chinese President Xi Jinping) told me, the best way to a successful agrarian revolution is a highway, meaning, stressing the importance of infrastructure, and I have come to realize that you cannot embark on agriculture at scale without paying serious attention, investing in infrastructure. So, that sort of experience sharing only takes place at that level," said Bio.
Sierra Leonean president lauds China's earnest efforts in common development
