Letters | Let’s understand ‘check-in’ culture, not judge mainland Chinese tourists

Readers discuss ‘check-in’ tourism, the revamp of MTR information boards, and better outcomes for single-parent families

Reading Time:3 minutes

Tourists take photos on the platform of Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station on June 14. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 11:30am, 20 Jun 2025

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification

I refer to “Why are mainland Chinese tourists posing in front of MTR stations in Hong Kong?” (June 14).

A basketball court in Kennedy Town has seen an influx of tourists not playing basketball but photographing a slice of the sea framed by ageing buildings. Likewise, the former Yau Ma Tei police station has become a must-visit.

Your article quotes Professor Song Haiyan as saying: “For Chinese tourists, the act of posting and receiving likes is more important than the actual experience.” This oversimplifies a much richer phenomenon.

RedNote (Xiaohongshu) is one of China’s largest user-generated content platforms, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users. For many, the act of “checking in” is not merely taking a photo for validation; it involves advance planning and making a personalised journey. Reducing this to vanity misses the cultural nuance and economic impact of the trend.

The issue is not whether “check-in” tourism is inferior to in-depth travel, but how both reflect diverse forms of engagement that deserve equal respect. One group may prefer heritage hotels steeped in tradition; the other might opt for trendy boutique lodgings. Neither group is more authentic than the other, they simply reflect different preferences.