Immigration officers at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport processed a surge of arrivals ahead of the World Games last week, ensuring smooth entry for participants in the largest edition of the event's history.

World Games participants pose in front of dedicated immigration channels at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug. 6, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Chengdu Border Inspection Station]

The 12th World Games, which opened Aug. 7 in Chengdu, capital of China's Sichuan province, drew 6,679 individuals from 116 countries and regions, including 3,942 athletes along with team officials and technical staff.

More than 3,000 participants cleared immigration at the airport in the four days before the opening ceremony, according to Chengdu Border Inspection Station statistics.

Athletes continued arriving at the airport's immigration hall in the early hours of Aug. 8. "Missing the opening ceremony was disappointing, but watching the spectacular livestream got me excited for the Games," a Saudi Arabian athlete said after exiting the dedicated immigration lane.

Asked about his first impressions of Chengdu, the athlete said: "The airport is massive, truly international, and the clearance process was lightning-fast without any hassle."

Two World Games athletes pose with border inspection officer Li Linfeng at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug. 9, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Chengdu Border Inspection Station]

To ensure smooth processing, Chengdu Border Inspection Station established real-time information sharing with the World Games Executive Committee and airlines to track participant arrivals in advance. The station set up six dedicated 24-hour immigration channels equipped with intelligent translation devices supporting more than 60 languages, said Officer Wang Chaozheng of the Chengdu Border Inspection Police.

Experienced officers were assigned exclusively to handle inspection and clearance procedures for Games participants.

Since arrival services began Aug. 3, a total of 1,762 participants entered through Chengdu Tianfu International Airport under visa exemption policies, representing 59% of all inbound competitors, according to station data.

The Games opened at Chengdu's "Tianfu Roof," billed as Asia's largest wooden structure. The event marks the first time the World Games have been held on the Chinese mainland and follows Chengdu's successful hosting of the Universiade in 2023. The Games also featured the first torch relay in the event's history and what organizers call record-level competition standards for non-Olympic sports.

World Games athletes and participants queue for immigration processing at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug. 7, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Chengdu Border Inspection Station]

Chengdu's airports handled more than 3.6 million passenger arrivals and departures as of Aug. 1, an 11.9% increase from a year earlier and the highest growth rate among airports in central and western China, according to airport data. International passenger volume reached 884,000, up 56.3% annually, with 312,000 foreign travelers using visa exemption or transit policies — a 2.3-fold increase from last year.

Hosting the Universiade and World Games has boosted Chengdu's international profile, attracting more tourists to experience the city's hotpot, giant pandas and scenic attractions.