Crowds filled Hong Kong’s airport and a major cross-border rail terminal on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with many visitors saying they chose to spend the holiday in the city to enjoy its festive spirit, food and mild weather.
According to the latest Immigration Department data, more than 1.7 million Hongkongers made outbound trips from February 13 to 16, up from 1.47 million in the January 25–28 period last year. They include about 320,000 residents who left the city on Monday.
Over the...
Analysis & Context
Crowds filled Hong Kong’s airport and a major cross-border rail terminal on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with many visitors saying they chose to spend the holiday in the city to enjoy its festive spirit, food and mild weather.
According to the latest Immigration Department data, more than 1.7 million Hongkongers made outbound trips from February 13 to 16, up from 1.47 million in the January 25–28 period last year. They include about 320,000 residents who left the city on Monday.
Over the... This article provides comprehensive coverage and analysis of current events.
Crowds filled Hong Kong’s airport and a major cross-border rail terminal on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with many visitors saying they chose to spend the holiday in the city to enjoy its festive spirit, food and mild weather.
According to the latest Immigration Department data, more than 1.7 million Hongkongers made outbound trips from February 13 to 16, up from 1.47 million in the January 25–28 period last year. They include about 320,000 residents who left the city on Monday.
Over the...
AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyFestive buzz in Hong Kong as visitors pour in for Lunar New Year‘I always come to Hong Kong with my husband, so this time I brought the whole family to spend the holiday here and show them around for the first time,’ visitor Ruby Luo saysReading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPFiona ChowandAmbrose LiPublished: 1:37pm, 17 Feb 2026Updated: 1:44pm, 17 Feb 2026Crowds filled Hong Kong’s airport and a major cross-border rail terminal on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with many visitors saying they chose to spend the holiday in the city to enjoy its festive spirit, food and mild weather.According to the latest Immigration Department data, more than 1.7 million Hongkongers made outbound trips from February 13 to 16, up from 1.47 million in the January 25–28 period last year. They include about 320,000 residents who left the city on Monday.Over the same period, 663,139 visitors arrived in the city, with more than 530,000 coming from mainland China.AdvertisementThe total number of visitors rose by 5 per cent compared with last year, while the number of mainland travellers grew by 7.1 per cent from 498,967 in 2025.On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the city welcomed 111,757 visitors, more than 84,000 of whom were from the mainland.AdvertisementThe West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus was packed with travellers in bright, colourful attire on Tuesday morning, with many passengers arriving in large groups.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x
