STORY: Border port in China's Xinjiang sees surge in passenger flow during May Day holiday
SHOOTING TIME: May 1, 2024
DATELINE: May 2, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:42
LOCATION: URUMQI, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Horgos Highway Port Joint Inspection Hall
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SONG SIRUI, Chinese tourist
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YELASSAI MAKSAT, Kazakhstani tourist
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): XIE SIQI, Tour guide

STORYLINE:

During the ongoing May Day holiday, Horgos Port in northwest China's Xinjiang experienced a significant increase in cross-border passenger traffic. 

Duty officers at the checkpoint efficiently carried out inspections, ensuring a seamless and pleasant start to the passengers' holiday journeys.
  
SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SONG SIRUI, Chinese tourist
"It's the May Day holiday now. Usually, my holidays are pretty short, so I figured I'd make the most of this one and head out for a quick visit. Traveling is super convenient; for Kazakhstan, there's a 30-day visa-free period. That way, I can hang around here for a good while, which is also pretty handy."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YELASSAI MAKSAT, Kazakhstani tourist
"I've just come from Almaty, and I've been in China for about a week now. I really love China because the places I visited this time, like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, were all so much fun. I'll definitely come back next time."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): XIE SIQI, Tour guide
"I'm the tour guide for today's day trip to Yarkent. We have a group of 45 guests joining us to explore the local attractions, including the museum and the grand bazaar. Now, there are more and more people participating in day tours for international travel."

This year marks the Kazakhstan tourism year in China, with an increasing number of Chinese and Kazakh citizens visiting each other's countries for sightseeing. 

Ahead of the May Day holiday, the Horgos immigration border control checkpoint predicted peak passenger flows and monitored passenger traffic changes in real-time. 

Additional on-site signage and guidance were also provided to ensure smooth and safe immigration procedures.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China.
(XHTV)