The Lunar New Year holiday drew to a close on Sunday with anticipated peak border crossings that saw about 189,000 travellers as of 10 am, according to the Immigration Department.
Among the border crossings, approximately 115,000 were arrivals, with nearly 96,000 people—including 42,000 local residents—entering via land checkpoints.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) port emerged as the busiest entry point, followed by the airport and the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station.
Record-breaking northbound travel
During the festive period from February 15 to 21, a staggering 114,000 trips made by single-plate vehicles from Hong Kong and Macau were recorded at the HZMB Zhuhai Port.
Daily crossings surpassed 20,000 for the first time on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, setting new records for both "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" and "Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles."
The "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" scheme showed particularly heavy usage, with daily crossings exceeding 13,700 for three consecutive days starting from the third day of the Lunar New Year (Feb 19).
Remarkably, 15,400 trips by "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" were logged on the fifth day (Feb 21).
Additionally, passenger traffic from Hong Kong and Macau saw an 8.1 percent increase compared to the same period last year during the Spring Festival holiday.
Among those heading back home was a Hong Kong citizen who had spent a week in Zhaoqing. "I have to work tomorrow, and the kids need to get back to school," she explained, noting that the station's crowds felt typical for a post-holiday period.
She expressed no concerns about congestion, as each high-speed train has a set capacity.
Another traveller at the high-speed rail station observed that the crowds were lighter than expected, with smooth clearance processes. However, she noted that return tickets had been difficult to secure despite early bookings, sharing that her family was only offered waitlist spots.
For some mainland tourists, the holiday's conclusion provided an opportunity for a last-minute getaway. A family of four from Shenzhen opted for a one-day trip, eager to take their children to the Hong Kong Palace Museum. They strategically booked a later high-speed train back to Shenzhen to avoid peak travel hours.
A traveller from Dongguan was also taking advantage of the remaining two days of his holiday, planning to spend around HK$1,000 to HK$2,000, mainly on toys.
Another visitor from Anhui shared that she arrived in Hong Kong after celebrating the New Year at home, noting that the city felt less crowded than during her previous visit.
