Lao Cai and Quang Ninh border gates are crowded with tourists going to China.

Tourist groups lined up in long lines, some had to wait 5-7 hours to complete procedures to enter China through border gates in Lao Cai and Quang Ninh.

Minh An, a tourist from Hanoi, chose the Chau Hong Ha 3-day, 2-night tour, costing over VND3.4 million, for her New Year's holiday. Arriving at Lao Cai border gate at 6am, Minh An waited nearly 5 hours to complete the procedures to enter China.

"There were people everywhere, I knew it would be crowded but I didn't think it would be this big," she said, adding that she had to bring snacks to stave off hunger. She is now starting to explore Hekou, China, with the group before arriving in Pingbian on December 31.

Long lines of people waiting at Ho Kieu Bridge to move to China. Photo: Minh An — Long lines of people waiting at Ho Kieu Bridge to move to China. Photo: *Minh An*

Ms. Hoang Tuyet, representative of the Yunnan Group alliance brand, said that from December 29 to January 1, Yunnan Group had 10 groups of Chinese tourists passing through Lao Cai border gate every day, with an average of 40-45 tourists per group. Compared to the same period two weeks ago, the number of tourist groups increased by about 2.5 times, distributed evenly on both Chau Hong Ha and Kunming routes.

According to Ms. Tuyet, the sudden increase in the number of visitors during the New Year holidays made the procedures at the border gate longer. Therefore, the unit had to delay 5 buses carrying groups to Kunming from the morning departure to early afternoon to reduce the number of visitors at the border gate, thereby shortening the entry time. The time to board the high-speed train in Kunming was also delayed from 13:30 to 18:30, giving visitors more time to freely enjoy themselves in Hekou.

Tourists wait to enter the exit area at Lao Cai border gate at 7am. Photo: Van Nam Group — Tourists wait to enter the exit area at Lao Cai border gate at 7am. Photo: *Van Nam Group*

Alibaba Vietnam Trade and Tourism Joint Stock Company, which has specialized in tours to China since 2016, also reported a similar situation. From December 27 to December 30, the company had an average of 2-3 groups going to China through Lao Cai border gate every day. During normal times, the company has about 3 groups per week.

Currently, it takes Vietnamese tourist groups about 5 hours to cross into China through Lao Cai border gate. On the morning of December 30, the slowest group took about 7 hours to complete the procedures. On a normal day, the waiting time from arriving at Lao Cai border gate to exiting Hekou border gate is only about 2 hours.

At Mong Cai border gate, Quang Ninh, the situation is similar. Before the gate opens (7am Vietnam time and 8am China time), it is estimated that thousands of people from both Mong Cai and Dongxing sides are crowded at the gate waiting to complete immigration procedures.

Ms. Pham Thi Oanh, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Mong Cai City, said that the number of people from Vietnam to China is higher, mainly people traveling in tour groups. Authorities have had to divide the lanes to reduce waiting time and build more shelters to serve people when it rains lightly. It is forecasted that tomorrow the number of visitors to China will also be higher.

With a cost of about 4 million VND and the experience of traveling abroad, China land tours are increasingly attracting Vietnamese tourists.

According to the reporter's records, the price of Chau Hong Ha tours during the New Year period has increased by about 20-25% compared to normal. Besides Chau Hong Ha tours, another popular tour through Lao Cai border gate is Kunming but the price has not increased during this time.

Ms. Hoang Tuyet said that the Chau Hong Ha tour is subsidized by shopping spots on weekdays. On holidays, shopping efficiency is not high, so additional charges are needed to ensure costs. The Kunming tour is not much affected by shopping spots and is being stimulated, so the price is stable.

Tu Nguyen - Le Tan

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