Hong Kong has recorded more than 242,000 trips by mainland Chinese visitors on the first day of their Labour Day “golden week” break, with many heading to the countryside for scenic views and others opting for “city walks” to explore picturesque locales.

Some early arrivals headed straight to the countryside after getting off at the West Kowloon rail terminus on Friday morning.

University student Chen Hongjie, 18, was all geared up to hike the MacLehose Trail on his first day in the city after a...