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South China Morning Post
20-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Let's understand ‘check-in' culture, not judge mainland Chinese tourists
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I refer to 'Why are mainland Chinese tourists posing in front of MTR stations in Hong Kong?' ( June 14 ). basketball court in Kennedy Town has seen an influx of tourists not playing basketball but photographing a slice of the sea framed by ageing buildings. Likewise, the former Yau Ma Tei police station has become a must-visit. Your article quotes Professor Song Haiyan as saying: 'For Chinese tourists, the act of posting and receiving likes is more important than the actual experience.' This oversimplifies a much richer phenomenon. RedNote (Xiaohongshu) is one of China's largest user-generated content platforms, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users. For many, the act of 'checking in' is not merely taking a photo for validation; it involves advance planning and making a personalised journey. Reducing this to vanity misses the cultural nuance and economic impact of the trend. The issue is not whether 'check-in' tourism is inferior to in-depth travel, but how both reflect diverse forms of engagement that deserve equal respect. One group may prefer heritage hotels steeped in tradition; the other might opt for trendy boutique lodgings. Neither group is more authentic than the other, they simply reflect different preferences.
South China Morning Post
01-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
2.3% rise in mainland visitors to Hong Kong on first day of Dragon Boat Festival
Hong Kong has recorded a 2.3 per cent increase against last year in the number of mainland Chinese tourists arriving on the first day of the Tuen Ng Festival holiday, as some opted to avoid crowds across the border and instead experience the city's festive vibe. Data published by the Immigration Department on Sunday showed that 139,585 visitors from the mainland arrived in the city on Saturday, the start of what is a three-day long weekend across the border. The city also recorded 574,895 outbound trips on Saturday, slightly more than the 570,000 estimated by authorities. The departures included 432,342 Hong Kong residents, which was also a 17 per cent drop from the 521,759 last year. Tourists and locals headed out to soak up the festivities on Sunday, with dozens of children and their parents queuing to enjoy an interactive drum game that mimicked a dragon boat race outside the K11 Musea shopping centre. Many also gathered near a photo spot that was set up by the Tourism Board and Ocean Park with cut-outs of six pandas and dragon boats against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.
