Finding Nemo, and a real bargain

330,000 visitors got through $8,000 each

As the week-long May Day holiday came to an end yesterday, one young mainland shopper said he found Nemo - and plenty of bargains - during his stay in Hong Kong.

Jessie Qiu Cuihong and her six-year-old son yesterday joined a throng of happy shoppers heading back to the mainland, just two of the estimated 330,000 tourists who had flocked to the city and spent an estimated $8,000 each, according to Hong Kong Retail Association figures.

'It's my first visit to Hong Kong,' the six-year-old from Guangzhou said while holding a Finding Nemo suitcase at Hunghom Station. 'My mother took me to Ocean Park and bought me many things, like clothes and snacks. She also bought me this suitcase.'

His mother, a 30-year-old shipping clerk, said she visited Hong Kong several times a year to buy electronic appliances, but this time she just bought clothes, cosmetics and snacks.

'Products in Hong Kong are a little cheaper than in Guangzhou. I like to shop here because there's greater variety.'

Lion Chen, a computer technician also from Guangzhou, plans to surprise his mother with a present when he returns home for Mother's Day tomorrow.