Hong Kong  - A record 8.62 million people are expected to come in and out of Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year holiday starting at the end of this week, immigration officials said Monday.

The predicted total would be 8 per cent more than during the same period last year and would set a new record for travel numbers in and out of the former British colony at a Chinese New Year.

Around 3.2 million of the people are expected to travel between Hong Kong and China using the land border crossings which are among the world's busiest.

The busiest single crossing will be the Lo Wu crossing between Hong Kong and China which will see an average of 266,000 passengers a day from January 22 to February 2 crossing in both directions, the territory's immigration department predicted.

The busiest days will be January 24 when 168,000 people are expected to leave Hong Kong for China, while 188,000 people are expected to pass in the opposite direction four days later on January 28 as the holiday winds down.

Millions more people will pass through quieter border checkpoints or in and out of Hong Kong through the city's international airport at Chek Lap Kok, an immigration department spokesman said.

Travel numbers between Hong Kong, which has a population of 6.9 million, and China have grown rapidly since the easing of cross- border travel restrictions by China in
2003.

The Chinese lunar new year is the biggest holiday of the year in Hong Kong and China. Millions travel from China to Hong Kong or Hong Kong to China to join families living either side of the border.

The Chinese Year of the Rat ends at midnight on Sunday and the first day of the Year of the Ox is January 26. The event is marked by a two-day public holiday in Hong Kong and a holiday of up to a fortnight in mainland China. (dpa)