Thousands of travelers began to fly in and out of mainland China as Beijing removed almost all of its border restrictions.
China's borders have been all shut since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. After three years, mainland China opened sea and land crossings with Hong Kong and ended a requirement for incoming travellers to quarantine.
China's easing over the past month of one of the world's tightest COVID regimes followed historic protests against a policy that included frequent testing, curbs on movement and mass lockdowns that heavily damaged the economy.
In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into mainland China in the coming weeks with long queues for flights into cities including Beijing and Xiamen.
IMAGE: A man hugs his daughter as he arrives from a flight in the international arrivals area at Beijing airport. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
IMAGE: Travellers wait for the gate to open at Hong Kong's Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint on the first day China reopens the border amid the COVID-19, January 8, 2023. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
IMAGE: Passengers push their luggage through the international arrivals hall at Beijing capital international airport after China lifted the COVID-19 quarantine requirement for inbound travellers. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters
IMAGE: A traveller wearing a protective suit walks outside Beijing railway station as the annual Spring Festival travel rush starts. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
IMAGE: A vendor attends to customers as they shop for decorations for the Chinese Lunar New Year at a market selling Spring Festival ornaments in Beijing. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
IMAGE: People walk past an underground area decorated with lanterns for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
IMAGE: People skate on an ice rink on a frozen lake in Beijing. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
IMAGE: Workers remove a quarantine barrier at the international arrival hall of Shanghai's Pudong international airport. Photograph: cnsphoto via Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
