Hong Kong has recorded more residents leaving the city at the beginning of the five-day Labour Day “golden week” holiday than mainland Chinese tourists coming in, even though many inbound visitors still favour sightseeing, shopping and hiking.
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As of 10am on Thursday, nearly 63,000 mainland Chinese tourists flocked to Hong Kong while more than 80,000 city residents left for other destinations.
The West Kowloon terminus was packed with visitors from across the border on Thursday morning, with some of them coming in for day trips in the city while others intended to stay longer and spend more on shopping and dining.
Many mainland visitors and crowds were spotted at the scenic High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, with a heavy presence of police and staff of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to maintain order.
Among those travelling via high-speed trains to Hong Kong was primary teacher Jill Yao, who arrived at the terminus at around 10am after a 1½-hour journey from Guangzhou city.
The 42-year-old came to Hong Kong for a two-day trip with her husband, two sons aged 13 and seven, as well as her parents-in-law, before heading to Macau.