China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) has released its first set of holiday-season statistics—and the numbers confirm that cross-border traffic is roaring back. According to the NIA, immigration officers nationwide processed 6.709 million inbound and outbound passengers between 25 and 27 September, the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival break. At 2.236 million travellers per day, volumes were 16.8 percent higher than during the same holiday in 2025, continuing the double-digit growth trajectory seen since the lifting of pandemic-era controls. Mainland residents accounted for 3.206 million crossings (up 5.3 percent), while traffic by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents jumped 27.7 percent to 2.775 million. Most striking was the rebound among foreign nationals: 728 000 entries and exits, a 37.7 percent year-on-year spike, of whom nearly one-third—247 000—took advantage of China’s expanding visa-free and 24-hour / 144-hour transit-visa-waiver schemes. Behind the scenes, border authorities opened every staffed channel at major airports and land checkpoints, issued real-time crowd alerts on social media, and deployed “mobile counters” that can be wheeled to congested zones. Officers also prioritised travellers requiring assistance, such as families with young children and the elderly, part of a broader service-quality drive launched by the NIA in April. More than 309 000 aircraft, ships, trains and vehicles were cleared—up 8.6 percent on last year. For businesses, the figures signal a decisive return of on-site meetings, plant audits and trade-fair attendance. Travel-management companies report that Mid-Autumn itineraries concentrated on short-haul destinations—South-East Asia, Japan and South Korea—where executives can complete a round trip within the brief public holiday. The strong take-up of visa-free entry suggests that China’s 2026 policy package—adding Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to the 144-hour list and digitising border-area travel permits—is gaining traction. Looking ahead to the National Day “Golden Week” beginning 1 October, officials warn that daily flows could top the Mid-Autumn peak of 2.342 million passengers. Corporates moving assignees or shipping samples should lock in flights early, build extra transit time into schedules and monitor port-specific advisories via the NIA’s 12367 hotline or WeChat mini-program.
Source: Sina News (via CCTV)
