A traveler makes a heart gesture while crossing the West Kowloon Checkpoint in Hong Kong on Monday. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
Over 1 million international travelers from 164 countries and regions have passed through the West Kowloon Checkpoint in Hong Kong so far this year, a 90.2% increase compared to last year, according to data from the Shenzhen Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection Station on Monday.
Three-fifths of these travelers were on business trips or sightseeing. Travelers from the U.S., Singapore, and Canada topped the list, accounting for 30% of the total.
Of the total, 160,000 entered Shenzhen via the checkpoint under China's visa-free entry policy, accounting for one-third of total inbound travelers, which is 10 times more than the same period last year.
China has extended its unilateral visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from 38 countries since its launch a year ago, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month. The policy allows international travelers with regular passports to enter China for tourism and business, including via cruise or visa-free transit, or to enter Hainan Province for up to 30 days without a visa.
Meanwhile, China has signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries and regions, covering different types of passports, and full visa exemption agreements with 25 countries.
The West Kowloon Station functions as an international railway passenger checkpoint, operating under the "One Stop, Two Checks" model. This model splits the checkpoint into two sections — the Hong Kong Port and the Mainland Port. Each jurisdiction independently conducts exit and entry inspections under their respective legal frameworks.