Gongbei Checkpoint broke its own national record of 483,900 single-day border crossings, set on Dec 28, 2019, by processing 499,000 people on Jan 11, up 25 percent year-on-year.

The facility experienced an exit peak from 9 am to 2 pm that Saturday, while the entry flow witnessed a spurt at 6 pm. A two-way peak occurred from 9 to 11 pm. 

Pre-holiday crowds [Photo courtesy WeChat account: gongbeibianjian]

Over the past year, traveler numbers at Gongbei Checkpoint kept growing under facilitated clearance procedures. A total of 145 million crossings were tallied in 2019, representing an increase of 7.4 percent from the previous year and accounting for more than one-fifth of the nation's total.

The momentum is expected to continue this year. More peaks are likely to occur as the Jan 25 Chinese Lunar New Year approaches. The desire of visitors to shop in Macao prior to the festival and for family weekend tours are weighty factors.

Outbound trips will be mostly made from 8:30 am to noon during the Jan 24-30 Spring Festival holiday, while most inbound traffic will be expected between 5 and 7:30 pm, according to Gongbei Checkpoint officials. Travelers are advised to plan reasonably and avoid these periods.