On the morning of April 29, the Lao Cai International Border Gate area recorded a sudden increase in the flow of people flocking to carry out exit procedures to China, at many times crowded, creating a bustling atmosphere before the April 30 - May 1 holiday.
From early morning, long lines of people lined up to wait for procedures at the immigration control area.
Most of them are tourists taking advantage of short holidays to go to China to visit and shop.
Mr. Le Minh Tuan (tourist from Hai Phong) said: "I chose to go through the Lao Cai border gate because the procedures are fast and the cost is reasonable. Although crowded, the movement is still quite convenient, the atmosphere is very lively, true to the festive atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Ms. Pham Thu Hang (a tourist from Hanoi) shared: "My family takes advantage of a short vacation to go to China shopping and sightseeing. The number of people is larger than expected, but in return, the service is quite complete and convenient.
Information from the People's Committee of Lao Cai ward, during the holiday, the locality proactively coordinates forces to ensure security and order, regulate traffic and control service prices.
Crowded points, especially border gate areas, are strengthened with personnel to avoid prolonged overload.
During the April 30 - January 1 holiday this year, Lao Cai ward is estimated to welcome about 60,000 visitors, of which the number of visitors through the border gate alone reached about 15,000.
This is a hot spot attracting outbound tourists, contributing to creating a vibrant tourism picture right from the holidays.
In 2026, Lao Cai ward set a target of welcoming about 1.6 million visitors, and in the first quarter alone, it reached 550,000 visitors, showing a clear growth momentum of border tourism.
With a sharp increase in the number of visitors during the holidays, Lao Cai International Border Gate continues to play the role of "attraction" for visitors in the area.
