The tropical island province of Hainan in south China has seen an inbound and outbound travel peak during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday with people from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan region as well as overseas Chinese returning to their hometowns for the festival, according to the General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection of the provincial capital city of Haikou.
The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese holiday for paying tribute to the deceased, worshiping ancestors and embracing nature. The day fell on Friday this year.
"My ancestral roots are in Hainan. I come back every year for the Qingming occasion to pay respects to my ancestors. It's very convenient now, everything is quick, and the border entry procedures are very smooth," said a traveler from Singapore.
"It's very convenient now because Malaysia enjoys the visa-free entry policies. Availing myself of this opportunity, I've come to Hainan for beer and skittles with a week-long break from my country," said a traveler from Malaysia. The number of passenger entries and exits through Hainan is expected to reach 22,700 during this year's three-day Qingming holiday season running from Friday to Sunday, averaging around 7,600 per day, marking a 38.4 percent increase year on year.
The Haikou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection has made early arrangements, deploying personnel effectively, and opening inspection channels in advance to ensure efficient and smooth customs clearance for travelers.
"We promptly release information on the dynamic flow of inbound and outbound passengers, enhance on-site service organization and closely coordinate with other inspection units, to ensure efficient and smooth customs clearance during the Qingming holiday peak, with priority given to safety and efficiency," said Li Liuqing, deputy duty team leader of the Meilan Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection Station under the Haikou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
Hainan has three main airports -- the Haikou Meilan International Airport, the Sanya Phoenix International Airport and the Qionghai Boao International Airport.
Airport ports in south China's Hainan see travel peak during Qingming Festival
