Newly opened Huanggang Port cuts Shenzhen-HK clearance from 30 to five minutes

The newly rebuilt Huanggang Port, a 24-hour boundary crossing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, will begin operation at 6:30 am on Monday with improved customs clearance efficiency and capacity, providing strong support for deeper cooperation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The revamped port, described as the world’s largest land border-crossing complex, will offer round-the-clock clearance services for passengers and passenger vehicles. During the initial phase, it is expected to handle 50,000 to 100,000 passenger trips a day.

Operating since 1989, Huanggang Port is the only boundary crossing between Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to offer 24-hour passenger clearance.

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Speaking at the new port’s commissioning ceremony on Sunday, Jin Lei, Party secretary of Shenzhen, said the port had witnessed the vigorous development of cooperation between the two areas.

After a seven-year renovation period, the port has transformed into a modern complex that will eventually connect with five rail transit lines. Its daily passenger capacity is projected to increase from 50,000 trips to 200,000, with the potential to reach 300,000 in the longer term. Under an innovative model of collaborative inspection and joint clearance, passenger clearance times are expected to fall from 30 minutes to about five minutes.

Jin said the project represented a new approach to aligning cross-boundary rules and integrating mechanisms, further facilitating the movement of people and strengthening connectivity across the Greater Bay Area.

He also highlighted the port’s role in promoting technological innovation and economic development. Linking Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the port’s impact will extend to major innovation platforms in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Science Park, San Tin Technopole, the Qianhai cooperation zone and Guangming Science City, he said.

Shenzhen will continue to improve the port’s services and tap its potential to promote cross-boundary cooperation in technological innovation, trade, finance, culture, tourism and other sectors, Jin added.

Huang Chuping, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, said the province had 50 Class I ports of entry, including water, land, air and rail crossings, accounting for about one-sixth of the national total.

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These ports oversee more than 70 percent of passenger and vehicle trips between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. As a result, Guangdong’s value of imported and exported goods accounted for more than one-fifth of the mainland’s total, ranking first nationwide for 40 consecutive years, he said.

Huang said he hoped Huanggang Port will develop into a benchmark for modern international ports, helping Guangdong expand channels for integrated development with Hong Kong and apply its experience to promote broader cross-boundary innovation.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu thanked the Guangdong provincial government and the Shenzhen municipal government for their support in the reconstruction efforts, noting that the Shenzhen government had covered the project’s design and construction costs.

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For over three decades, Huanggang Port has served hundreds of millions of cross-boundary travelers, witnessing increasingly close interactions between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Lee said the refurbishment, a landmark project of Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, also aligned with the goals of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and Hong Kong SAR’s first Five-Year Plan. The project will help deepen integration within the Greater Bay Area and promote Hong Kong’s participation in national development, he added.

Xue Huaming, a division director at the Office of Port of Entry and Exit of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, estimated that a large number of tourists will experience the revamped facility during its initial stage of operation. Authorities on both sides will coordinate to ensure smooth operations during peak hours, he said.

A one-stop service center will provide information on transportation, tourism and payment services, as well as policy consultations. Multilingual translation devices will also be available to assist overseas travelers, Xue added.

Chen Hong contributed to the story.

Contact the writer at bingcun@chinadailyhk.com