Intl. arrivals at West Kowloon Checkpoint quadruple as Canton Fair opens

The number of international passengers arriving via the West Kowloon Checkpoint in Hong Kong has quadrupled around the opening of the 136th Canton Fair.

Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, the first day of the Canton Fair, the checkpoint at West Kowloon, Hong Kong’s terminus for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, has been bustling with overseas merchants taking high-speed trains to Guangzhou, the fair’s venue.

Travelers undergo document checks at the West Kowloon Checkpoint. Hong Kong Commercial Daily

Statistics from Shenzhen’s immigration inspection authority reveal that nearly 1,500 international passengers entered the mainland through the checkpoint by noon on the same day.

On Monday, the day prior to the fair opening, over 4,300 international travelers passed through the checkpoint, marking a fourfold increase over the usual daily international traffic.

Throughout the Canton Fair, the checkpoint is expected to experience peak inbound passenger flows from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., with outbound traffic peaking from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Data indicates that since the beginning of October, the checkpoint has facilitated over 40,000 international trips, with 47.5% of these travelers coming for business or work-related purposes.