(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-01 07:43

HONG KONG - About 8.4 million people are expected to travel in and out of Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year holiday, up 9.9 percent on last year, Hong Kong Immigration Department said Thursday.

About 5.8 million will pass through land boundary checkpoints, up 9.7 percent.

Most people will travel between February 6 and 17 when about 3.3 million passengers, an average of 270,000 daily, will pass through Lo Wu control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen of Guangdong province, representing 56 percent of the total estimated cross- boundary passenger traffic, the department said.

The number of departing passengers at Lo Wu is expected to peak at 200,000 on February 6, while peak arrivals will be February 10 with 190, 000 people returning. The highest daily traffic is expected to reach 320,000 on February 10.

Passenger traffic at Lok Ma Chau control point will also be heavy with 1.4 million passengers, a daily average of 120,000. The number of arriving passengers is expected to reach a peak of 80, 000 on February 10, the department said.