In the first three weeks of the year, the Harbin Taiping International Airport in Heilongjiang province saw a 145 percent year-on-year increase in inbound foreign passengers, mainly from Russia, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, according to the Harbin immigration border inspection station.

With the arrival of "Little New Year", or xiaonian in Chinese, which is celebrated a week before Spring Festival and the approaching 9th Asian Winter Games 2025 in Harbin, the 240-hour visa-free transit policy implemented at the airport has shown its effectiveness.

The station has strengthened its duty organization and passenger flow monitoring to ensure the precise and efficient implementation of the visa-free policy.

It has also optimized the application process, with a dedicated channel established for temporary entry permits, additional channels and related guiding signs set up for the Asian Winter Games.

The station also enriched and improved the "First Step of Heilongjiang Immigration Service Center", providing inbound travelers with immigration policy consultation, procedural inquiries, accommodation and dining service recommendations.