Hengqin Port sees surge in foreign arrivals under visa-free transit policy

By the end of May, more than 139,000 foreign travelers had entered China through Hengqin Port, which connects Zhuhai in Guangdong province with the Macao Special Administrative Region, up 69.7 percent year-on-year, according to immigration officials.

Of them, about 68,000 entered under China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy, said Zeng Xiang, deputy head of the Hengqin Immigration Inspection Station.

Hengqin Port was added to the list of entry ports eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy in November 2025. The policy allows citizens from 55 countries to enter through the port and engage in tourism, business and other activities during the transit period, facilitating travel to both Hengqin and Macao.

Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 Macao residents have benefited from a first-of-its-kind measure in China that allows them to bring designated animal and plant products into Hengqin for personal use.

Under the measure, Macao residents who study, work, start businesses or live in Hengqin may bring approved animal and plant products into the zone once a day, with a total weight of up to five kilograms.

More than 16,900 batches of eligible products have been brought into Hengqin so far, according to He Qiming, deputy commissioner of Hengqin Customs.

Eligible items include cooked meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, edible fungi, and fresh-cut flowers, helping meet residents' daily needs.

For Si Jianing, a doctoral student at the University of Macau, living in Hengqin has become a practical and affordable option thanks to improved cross-border transportation and customs facilitation measures.

Si lives in a residential community near Hengqin Port and commutes to the university in Macao every day. Free shuttle buses operate during peak hours, taking students from residential neighborhoods to the port, she said.

After crossing the border on foot, students can board another shuttle bus on the Macao side that takes them directly to campus.

A pedestrian bridge also connects the Macao port area with the university, allowing students to reach campus quickly on foot.

"It usually takes less than 30 minutes from the time I leave home until I arrive for class, half the time it took before the port opened," Si said.