Hong Kong records 13% rise in mainland Chinese visitors on day 1 of ‘golden week’

Over 300,000 inbound trips made throughout day, while outbound journeys by residents hit more than 430,000

Hong Kong recorded a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in mainland Chinese visitors on the first day of the “golden week” Labour Day holiday, with more than 300,000 inbound trips made throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the number of Hongkongers leaving the city on Friday also surged by 45 per cent compared with last year, reaching more than 430,000 outbound journeys.

Labour Day is a statutory public holiday in Hong Kong and marks the start of the mainland’s five-day break from May 1 to 5. The first day of the holiday saw a new single-day record of about 24.8 million passengers travelling on China’s railway network, according to China State Railway Group.

Mainland visitors fanned out across the city, with some heading for the countryside for scenic views and others opting for “city walks” to explore picturesque locales.

Popular hotspots also included Wong Tai Sin temple, where visitors were seen pasting pure gold foil on a statue of Caishen, the God of Wealth, as part of a 10-day prayer ceremony marking the deity’s birthday.

Hong Kong immigration statistics on Saturday showed 1.32 million cross-border trips were made on Friday, of which 300,466 were inbound visits.