Number of mainland visitors to Taiwan hits record high

(CNS) – The number of tourists from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan reached 45,800 from January 21 to 29 of the Chinese New Year holiday, setting a new record, according to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau on Monday.

Taiwan received 7,723 mainland visitors, the largest number for a single day, on January 24, the second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The Taiwan government began permitting mainland tourists in July 2008, and by the end of 2011 the number of mainland visitors had exceeded 3 million, according to the bureau's statistics. Visitors from the mainland reached 1,223,000 in 2011 alone.

The local government is allowing mainland visitors to get health checkups and beauty treatments at Taiwan hospitals starting this year, reported the United Evening News of Taiwan. Taipei Xinguang Hospital expects the first group of mainland visitors on February 13.