Rebuilt port opens to boost connectivity

The redeveloped Huanggang Port, a round-the-clock boundary crossing between Shenzhen in Guangdong province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, operated smoothly on its opening day with faster clearance for passengers and vehicles, boosting officials' confidence in managing peak traffic during weekends and public holidays.

The new port, which opened at 6:30 am on Monday, uses a "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" model, meaning that travelers only need to present their travel documents once to cross the border, while drivers can complete the inspection in one-stop lanes without leaving their vehicles.

During its first two hours of operation, the port handled more than 5,000 passengers and nearly 1,000 vehicle trips. Chris Tang Ping-keung, secretary for security of the Hong Kong SAR government, said that between 6:30 am and 8:30 am, the new port recorded 5,170 passenger trips, up by more than 60 percent from the same period on ordinary days. There were also 953 inbound and outbound vehicle trips, about 30 percent more than usual.

The port is equipped with 134 "collaborative inspection" self-service channels, 68 traditional manual counters and 28 joint inspection lanes for vehicles.

He said that all clearance channels were operating normally and that passengers could cross without waiting. Vehicles using the joint one-stop lanes waited for less than five minutes.

Mable Chan, secretary for transport and logistics of the Hong Kong SAR government, said that by 8 am, 1,200 public transport passengers had crossed northward through Huanggang Port, while nearly 2,000 had traveled south.

Eric Chan Kwok-ki, chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong SAR government, said he was confident that, after a few days of familiarization with the procedures, staff members would be able to handle greater passenger flows during the Chongyang Festival, also known as the Double Ninth Festival, a traditional Chinese occasion honoring senior citizens, which falls on Sunday. He added that if the arrangement proved effective, the authorities would consider extending the clearance model to other ports.

A Shenzhen resident surnamed Huang who works in Hong Kong became the first inbound traveler to enter the Chinese mainland through the rebuilt port.

Huang, who had just finished her night shift and was returning to Shenzhen, said that it took her only about five minutes to complete the clearance procedures, a significant reduction from the half hour it used to take.

Huang said that, with the new port's significantly improved procedures and completely revamped facilities, travel will be much more convenient for cross-boundary commuters.

A traveler from the United States who identified himself as Charles visited Shenzhen for business purposes. He used Huanggang Port for the first time on Monday and was satisfied with his experience.

Given Huanggang's proximity to downtown Shenzhen, he said he believes that, besides Shenzhen Bay Port, this brand-new port will become another popular choice for international travelers.

A cross-boundary coach driver who gave his surname as Tam was the first driver to pass through the new port's joint vehicle inspection channel. After the vehicle entered the inspection lane, it took him just three minutes — and only one stop — to complete document scanning, facial recognition and fingerprint verification, without leaving his vehicle. Previously, he had to stop multiple times for inspections by various parties, which took about 10 minutes.

Yolk Lam, a service ambassador stationed at the public transport interchange floor of the port's Hong Kong side, is responsible for handling questions from passengers arriving from Shenzhen and advising them on how to get home.

The most frequent and complex inquiries, Lam said, concern direct transport to the airport at Chek Lap Kok, as some passengers may be unsure about the new bus services.