As China’s nine-day Spring Festival holiday began, many mainland visitors arrived at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station on Sunday morning, with some noting they would stay in the city for the fireworks display.
Some arriving travelers noted that while there were queues at customs and a high volume of people, it was not as crowded as they had expected. They had estimated it would take one to two hours to get through customs, but the whole process only took 20 minutes. They also noticed the festive atmosphere in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year.
Tang from Xinjiang traveled with her family, taking a five-hour flight to Shenzhen and then transferring to the high-speed rail to Hong Kong. She said she had never spent the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong and would stay for five days to experience the local festive vibe.
She is looking forward to the fireworks display, the float parade, and worshipping at Wong Tai Sin Temple for the first incense of the year, hoping to pray for a good start for her family in the Year of the Horse.
Tang added that travel costs during the holiday are higher than usual, with increased prices for flights and hotels. Hotel rates are around HK$2,000 per night, and she expects the total trip to cost HK$30,000 to HK$40,000, but she believes it is reasonable and worthwhile.
Wang, a traveler from Shenzhen visiting Hong Kong for the first time, noted that she researched travel tips on social media before the trip. Her itinerary focuses on sightseeing, including visiting Central.
She plans to stay one night in Hong Kong to visit more attractions and save time on a same-day round-trip. She said hotel prices before the Chinese New Year were about HK$800 cheaper than during the holiday, so she chose to come early to cut accommodation costs.
Some mainland travelers are making same‑day return trips. One visitor from Shanghai said he would stay in Hong Kong for one day before leaving in the evening to return home and celebrate the festival with his family.
