Hekou Port, located on the border between southwest China's Yunnan Province and Vietnam, has witnessed booming cross-border travel spurred by convenient transportation and a streamlined visa process.
As the largest port in the Yunnan section of the China-Vietnam border, the Hekou Port is welcoming thousands of tourists each day during the summer holiday.
To deal with the surge in visitors traveling through the border, a new facility for easier customs clearance at the Hukou port was put into trial operation in May, designed to handle 15 million cross-border passengers per year.
"I think the entry procedure for people traveling from Vietnam's Hanoi to China's Hekou is streamlined, which makes me feel convenient," said a visitor from Vietnam.
In addition to the streamlined visa procedure, the tourism boom has been fueled by convenient transportation.
In the past, visitors who visited Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province, had to arrive at the Hekou port early in the morning by bus before transferring to other buses, which would take them nearly a day to get the destination, according to a tour guide from a Vietnamese travel agency.
However, the high-speed railway has greatly reduced travel time a few hours, providing tourists with a more convenient experience.
"To travel by high-speed train makes me feel more comfortable. Many Vietnamese travel agencies and travelers are satisfied about the services on train," said the tour guide. More than 12,000 people from over 700 Vietnamese tourist groups have traveled by high-speed trains after entering the Hekou Port since Aug 19, setting new record.
Many tourists would start their travels from Hekou Port and then get on trains to other destinations. Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La are among the most popular destinations for Vietnamese tourists.
In recent years, one-day tours to border prefectures including Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture have seen soaring popularity among Vietnamese tourists. These tours offer engaging activities such as supermarket shopping, savoring local delicacies, and enjoying leisurely coffee moments, catering to Vietnamese visitors eager to immerse themselves in Chinese customs.
"We love to travel to Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture. It is very popular for tourists from Vietnam," said a tour guide from Vietnam.
China-Vietnam border port sees booming cross-border tourism
