GUANGZHOU -- A total of 100 million inbound and outbound passenger trips were recorded in 2025 via checkpoints in Zhuhai connecting to Macao and Hong Kong by Sunday, 22 days earlier than last year, official data showed.

These checkpoints in Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong province, include the ports of Gongbei, Hengqin, Qingmao and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

According to the Zhuhai exit-entry inspection station, surging cross-border travel of mainland, Hong Kong and Macao residents has been fueled by a variety of favorable policies, adding that simplified clearance procedures have further boosted tourism and consumption.

Data shows outbound and inbound trips by Hong Kong and Macao residents via these checkpoints rose 12 percent year-on-year, while mainland resident trips increased 14 percent.

Additionally, foreign nationals entering China via these checkpoints surged significantly, with Zhuhai ports processing 880,000 foreign travelers this year -- including 170,000 visa-free entries, up 79 percent annually.

He Caigen, an official from the Zhuhai exit-entry inspection station, said: "The accelerated growth reflects rapid development in the Greater Bay Area."