China News Agency, Hong Kong, January 8th (Reporter Han Xingtong Wei Huadu Liu Dawei Dai Xiaolu) Affected by the new crown epidemic, after three years, Hong Kong and the Mainland officially realized the first phase of "customs clearance" on the 8th. Various ports directly hit the first batch of cross-border people to embark on their journey home.

  It is reported that the first phase of "customs clearance" will open 7 ports.

According to the latest figures released by the Office of the Chief Information Officer of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, as of 6:00 p.m. on the 7th, more than 410,000 people made appointments to go to the mainland.

  In the early morning of that day, on the bus from Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, to the Shenzhen Bay Port, the people couldn't hide their excitement.

"Going home!" A passenger shouted, which immediately aroused resonance in the car, and the joy was beyond words.

From 6:00 a.m., people from the Shenzhen Bay Port successively arrived with their suitcases. Among them were "Hong Kong drifters" from the Mainland who had not returned home for many years due to the epidemic, Hong Kong citizens who had returned to the Mainland to visit relatives, and those who had passed through Hong Kong from overseas. Transit passengers.

On January 8, Hong Kong and the mainland officially "cleared customs", and a large number of tourists took the subway to enter Shenzhen from the reopened Lok Ma Chau Station through the port.

The picture shows passengers waiting at the port.

Photo by Li Zhihua

  The reporter saw in the Lok Ma Chau Port Exit Passenger Inspection Hall that there was a long queue at the cross-border passage, and people stopped at the sign from time to time to take pictures.

"I haven't been home for three years, and this year I can finally go home for the New Year. I'm very excited and happy, and I can't wait to get home in the next second." Li Shasha, 21, is a student studying in Hong Kong. In the queue of people, her luggage is very special. Conspicuously, in addition to two large carry-on suitcases, she also brought a half-person tall rag doll, "This is for my sister. When I came to school three years ago, my sister could not speak, and now she has to go to kindergarten." gone."

  Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao, Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-kee, Secretary for Security Tang Bingqiang and others visited the Lok Ma Chau port that morning.

Li Jiachao said that the overall operation of the ports is good, and the customs clearance process for citizens is smooth.

He pointed out that "customs clearance" must be orderly, safe, and smooth. The SAR government will closely monitor the situation, including the arrangements around the Spring Festival in order to make overall arrangements, so as to achieve comprehensive customs clearance as soon as possible under a safe and controllable situation.

  As many citizens took the MTR to various land ports on that day, MTR representatives said in a meeting with reporters at the Lok Ma Chau Port that the overall operation of the MTR East Rail Line and Lok Ma Chau Station was very orderly and smooth.

As of about 11:00 am, Lok Ma Chau Station has received about 9,000 transit passengers.

At present, MTR has increased the frequency of East Rail Line to Lok Ma Chau Station and Sheung Shui Station to Admiralty Station.

On January 8, Hong Kong and the mainland officially "cleared customs", and a large number of tourists took the subway to enter Shenzhen from the reopened Lok Ma Chau Station through the port.

The picture shows a large number of tourists waiting to enter the mainland.

Photo by Li Zhihua

  At the China Ferry Terminal, the staff of the Hong Kong Immigration Department and the shipping company are also ready.

At about 7 a.m., the first batch of mainland-bound passengers arrived at the pier one after another, lined up to enter the immigration hall, and prepared to board the ship after completing customs clearance procedures.

25-year-old Mr. Yu was sent by the company from Guangzhou to work in Hong Kong for half a year. He asked for leave from the company earlier and went home to visit his relatives on the first day of "customs clearance".

"I'm very excited, because I haven't gone back for a long time, and now I can go back every month after I've cleared the customs."

  The Hong Kong International Airport has largely resumed the usual flow of people. The departure flight information is displayed on the big screen in the departure building. There are flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Nanjing and other cities across the country on that day. The reporter found through the ticketing software that most of the flights Tickets are sold out.

Nearly 100 people were waiting at the check-in counters for several flights to the mainland to check in their luggage.

  There are relatives and friends waiting at the pick-up gate in the arrival hall.

Mr. Zheng, a Hong Kong citizen, is waiting for his son who went to Hangzhou to start a business and has not returned for two years.

About 20 minutes later, Mr. Zheng raised his arms and waved forward, and walked forward to meet his son who finally arrived. The father and son seemed restrained when they met after two years. Both of them smiled slightly. The husband patted his son's shoulder lightly and took his suitcase, but the joy on his face was unconcealable, and everything was said in silence.

(Finish)