The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is busy

Hong Kong people "go north" for consumption, opening a new chapter of "two-way travel"

　　The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has been extremely busy these days.

　　Since March 29, Hong Kong has started a four-day public holiday. A large number of Hong Kong people have gone to the mainland, and various ports have staged a "going north" wave comparable to the Spring Festival Transport. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is the only way for "Hong Kong cars going north", and the traffic flow is also weaving in and out.

　　"Can you believe it? I waited in line for five hours just to cross the border!" At the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the port was so crowded with people waiting to cross the border that crowd control measures were once implemented on site.

　　Traffic volume on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge broke a new record. According to statistics from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs, on April 1, the customs monitored more than 19,500 inbound and outbound vehicles, setting a record high since the port opened.

　　In recent years, integrated consumption between Guangdong and Hong Kong has continued to heat up. From "reverse purchasing" to "Hong Kong-style Spring Festival travel", what is reflected behind Hong Kong people's enthusiasm for "going north"? What role does the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge play in this?

Hong Kong people's "going north" vacation has become a craze

　　"Hong Kong people have their own 'Spring Festival'." This is how some netizens described the upsurge of Hong Kong people "going north".

　　Since mid-March, all high-speed rail tickets from Hong Kong to and from Guangzhou, Changsha and other places have been sold out; on the first day of the holiday, the MTR trains have been crowded with people since 6 a.m.; in the Shenzhen business district, tourists speaking with Hong Kong accents are everywhere ; In Zhuhai, cars from Hong Kong are parked in front of consumer and entertainment venues...

　　"Hong Kong people going north is not just a temporary trend, but has become a normal way of life in Hong Kong." Hong Kong Legislative Council member Zhang Xinyu said that even on weekdays, many citizens often go to the mainland. Adding the effect of the long holiday, this number reached a new high, even exceeding the estimates of the two governments.

　　So, why do Hong Kong people like to go to the mainland for vacation?

　　“Shopping malls and supermarkets in the Mainland are so convenient. Whether shopping or eating, they are cheaper and more affordable than those in Hong Kong,” said a Hong Kong resident.

　　Indeed, high cost performance and diversified choices are the main reasons why many Hong Kong people choose to "go north" for consumption. In addition to catering and retail, the consumption patterns of "Hong Kong people going north" are also extending to medical care, real estate and other service-oriented consumption.

　　For example, it takes 5 to 6 weeks to get a tooth implanted in a public hospital in Hong Kong. In mainland cities such as Shenzhen, citizens only need to make an appointment one week in advance, and the price is only one-third of that in Hong Kong. Therefore, a large number of Hong Kong residents come to the mainland for dental treatment every year.

　　At the same time, the continuous innovation of customs clearance policies also provides more possibilities for Hong Kong people to "go north".

　　In recent years, Qingmao Port and other ports between Guangdong and Hong Kong and Guangdong and Macao have been opened one after another. Convenient customs clearance models such as "two inspections in one place" and "cooperative inspection and one release" have been promoted and implemented. Policies such as "Macau cars go north" and "Hong Kong cars go north" It will be implemented one after another to significantly improve the efficiency of customs clearance in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

　　In addition, this year's public holidays in Hong Kong and Macao coincide with the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday. A large number of Hong Kong and Macao residents return to their hometowns to worship their ancestors, visit relatives and take a trip. This has also become a major reason for Hong Kong people to "go north".

　　“This Easter holiday, short-distance travel has become the choice of many Hong Kong people.” Regarding this wave of Hong Kong people “going north”, Lin Zhiying, deputy to the National People’s Congress and director of supply chain of Sinopec (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., is not surprised, “We are very I am happy to see more and more Hong Kong residents expanding their leisure circles to the entire Greater Bay Area."

The "C position" of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

　　During this public holiday in Hong Kong and Macao, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge continued to experience peak passenger and vehicle traffic, with Zhuhai Highway Port and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Port setting new records.

　　In the past, the world's longest cross-sea and cross-border bridge, which was jointly constructed by the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, once caused controversy and discussion. Years later, time gradually gave the answer.

　　In 2023, there will be more than 16.3 million entry-exit passengers and more than 3.26 million entry-exit vehicles through the Zhuhai Highway Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Especially since the implementation of the "Australian Cars Going North" and "Hong Kong Cars Going North" policies, inbound and outbound traffic has increased rapidly. In the past year, the customs clearance volume of Hong Kong and Macao single-plate vehicles at the Zhuhai Highway Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge broke the historical record in a single day 20 times, with the highest number of vehicle trips in a single day reaching 11,000.

　　In addition to the swarming flow of people and vehicles, there are also increasingly busy logistics.

　　How long does it take to transport a new energy vehicle from the mainland to Hong Kong? The answer is: morning and evening.

　　In the morning, it departs from the Zhuhai Automobile City and goes to the outbound freight inspection station at the Zhuhai Highway Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. After being inspected by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs affiliated to Gongbei Customs, it is then transported to Hong Kong and delivered to the owner in the afternoon.

　　"Now the new energy industry is a new track. Customs clearance at the port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is 24 hours a day. It is highly efficient and can help us quickly seize the market. It is our first choice." said Cao Xuedi, chairman of Zhuhai Southern Group Co., Ltd.

　　Not only that, aircraft engines, gold jewelry, integrated circuits, etc. are also "frequent customers". "High-value, high-tech, and high-value-added products have become the main import and export commodities at the bridge port, and the number of trucks entering and exiting has grown steadily. Recently, the number of trucks has reached 2,000 per day." said Ye Yingqiong, Section Chief of the Fourth Customs Supervision Section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

　　According to Gongbei Customs statistics, as of February this year, the total value of imports and exports through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge-Zhuhai Highway Port has exceeded 800 billion yuan.

　　From a higher perspective, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has more profound significance.

　　"The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has become a platform for the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and a demonstration of co-construction, co-management and sharing." The relevant person in charge of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority said that during the construction of the bridge, many legal and institutional differences were overcome, forming a A consultation and decision-making mechanism for joint construction and co-management by the three governments was established. After being put into operation, it has become a veritable pilot project and "test field" in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

"Two-way consumption" boom is surging

　　The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is triggering a lifestyle change.

　　On social networking platforms, various strategies for traveling to and from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong are already overwhelming. The most popular "check-in places" include not only major scenic spots, shopping malls, celebrity restaurants or massage parlors, but also large warehouse supermarkets such as Hema and Sam's.

　　For mainland citizens, it is also a unique experience to go to Hong Kong and Macau for a "special forces tour" at any time, or check out the popular Citywalk routes to experience the customs and customs of a blend of Chinese and Western cultures.

　　In addition to leisure consumption, Hong Kong and Macao market factors are also flowing efficiently through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

　　"Through the bridge, Hong Kong companies and Zhuhai are 'running in both directions.'" According to Chen Xiaoxin, a partner of Hong Kong It is difficult for projects to "get off the ground", but settling in Zhuhai can not only save production costs for Hong Kong companies, but also open up a broader mainland market with the help of Zhuhai's unique geographical location.

　　The flow of logistics, people, innovation and capital flows continuously on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge day and night, closely connecting Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and at the same time, it also puts forward higher requirements for the future.

　　"The introduction of the policy of 'Hong Kong cars going north' and 'Australian cars going north' reflects the important transportation functions of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge." In Zhang Xinyu's view, transportation efficiency should be greatly improved through technological empowerment, and the customs clearance process should not be changed. It has become a bottleneck for the traffic flow of the bridge.

　　In January this year, Zhuhai released the "Action Plan for the Good Use and Management of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in 2024", which proposed a series of work goals and stated that it would improve the level of multimodal transport between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao, and further optimize and improve the efficiency of entry and exit of Hong Kong and Macao vehicles.

　　Lin Zhiying further pointed out that in addition to "Hong Kong trains going north", "Guangdong trains going south" is also very important.

　　At this point, the Hong Kong SAR government has made arrangements. In November last year, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr Lam Sai-hung, said that the "Guangdong Cars Going South" will probably be implemented in two phases. The first phase is expected to be implemented within this year. The Hong Kong Airport Authority is building an artificial island at the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. There are thousands of parking spaces in the parking lot with automated parking spaces.

　　The radius of life has expanded, the distance between time and space has shortened, and business travel has become more convenient... The increasingly popular Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has written vivid stories about Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The future of the Greater Bay Area is worth looking forward to!

　　Written by: Wang Shaojiang, Gu Jiman and Chen Yu Coordinator: Liang Han, Zhang Zhe and Chen Mingshi

　　Nanfang Daily