Cross-border travel in China surged during the 2026 Qingming Festival holiday, with 6.779 million trips recorded between April 4 and 6, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA). The daily average of 2.26 million entries and exits marks a 9.1% year-on-year increase, reflecting renewed mobility across Asia's largest economy.
Residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and the Taiwan region accounted for 3.29 million trips – a 19.5% increase from 2025 – as families reunited to honor ancestral traditions. Foreign nationals contributed 843,000 trips, with visa-free entries jumping 30.7% to 319,000, underscoring China's growing connectivity with global travelers.
Border authorities managed the influx through real-time traffic forecasting and optimized staffing at ports. Special assistance channels were created for elderly travelers, who formed a significant portion of visitors returning for tomb-sweeping rituals. Enhanced inter-agency coordination helped process 307,000 transportation vehicles, including a single-day peak of 2.33 million trips on April 6.
The NIA's operational upgrades demonstrate China's evolving approach to managing cross-border flows amid rising regional integration. As travel patterns stabilize post-pandemic, these figures offer investors and policymakers fresh insights into Asia's recovering tourism sector and cross-strait mobility trends.
