More than 8,000 people has registered in 12 hours after the launching of a new facial-recognition exit-entry clearance at Hengqin Port in South China's Guangdong province at midnight on Tuesday.

The port, which connects the Macao Special Administrative Region and Guangdong’s Zhuhai, implemented the facial recognition-based border crossing, allowing travelers to clear customs without presenting their physical identification documents.

Four categories of travelers, including holders of Hong Kong permanent identity cards and home return permits at the age of 14 and above, are allowed to use the facial recognition system.

Minors aged 14 to 18 only need to register once at the port service point accompanied by a parent, while those over 18 years old need to authorize facial recognition while presenting their documents at the upgraded smart border crossing lanes.

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With a single facial scan for travel between the Macao SAR and Hengqin, no physical documents are required to enter or exit the 46 smart self-service lanes at the port.

Authorities stated that upgrading the border crossing system was an innovative collaborative project between the SAR and Hengqin. The new system will reduce the number of steps required for border crossing and is expected to increase clearance capacity by at least 65 percent, according to the authorities.

Facilitating border crossing, it also represented deep cooperation between the Chinese mainland and the Macao SAR under "one country, two systems" and injected new momentum into the integration of the SAR and Hengqin, the authorities added.