Revamped Huanggang Port opens with first joint clearance system for Hong Kong-mainland travellers

Centre · 2The revamped Huanggang Port officially opened on Monday 12 October after six years of redevelopment, becoming the first land border checkpoint between Hong Kong and mainland China to use a "joint clearance" system for immigration. 1 2 Centre · 1The facility opened at 6.30am, and officials from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangdong province attended an opening ceremony on Sunday, where Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu called the project a "critical milestone" in cross-border connectivity. 1 Centre · 2It replaces the old Huanggang Port in Shenzhen, in use since 1989. Hong Kong and Shenzhen agreed in 2019 to redevelop it on site, as the existing infrastructure had limited room for expansion. 2 1

Centre · 2Under the new system, Hong Kong and mainland immigration checks are combined at one checkpoint, so travellers present one identity document and pass through an automated channel with three gates instead of queuing on each side of the border. 1 2 Centre · 2Authorities say clearance time for people on foot will fall from 30 minutes to about five, and for drivers from 10 minutes to two. For vehicles, one document is enough for what CNA describes as a "five-party inspection" by immigration and customs agencies of both sides and Hong Kong's Department of Health. 1 2 Centre · 1The port has 134 automated joint clearance channels and 64 manual counters. Hong Kong and mainland residents must register with immigration authorities on both sides to use the automated channels, and more than 160,000 had registered on the e-Channel app by noon on Friday. Eligible Hong Kong residents holding a valid mainland travel permit can use their Hong Kong identity cards for both directions, but are advised to carry both documents. 1

Centre · 1The nine-storey building has a floor area of nearly 690,000 sq m, up from 140,000 sq m at the old port. It handles passengers only, not cargo, and is described as the only Hong Kong-Shenzhen land crossing open round the clock. 2 Centre · 2Hong Kong travellers can reach the port by franchised bus, green minibus, cross-border coach or taxi, replacing the earlier shuttle bus from San Tin. There are six daytime bus routes and three green minibus routes, up to 600 taxis were to serve it on day one, and there are no public car parks. 1 2 Centre · 1Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, who inspected the automated lanes shortly before opening, called the start "satisfactory" and said passengers reported smooth clearance. He said 500 temporary signs had been put up inside the building and 300 on approach roads, and that he hoped staff would be familiar with procedures by the weekend to handle a surge. 1

Centre · 1Security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung said extra manpower and contingency plans were in place, that an Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre would be activated alongside a joint command centre with Shenzhen, and he urged people without urgent need to delay their visits. Tour agencies are advertising "five-minute clearance", with one saying its first tour sold out in under three hours. 1 Centre · 2Capacity figures differ between reports. SCMP says the port can handle up to 300,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles a day, with about 100,000 people a day expected initially. CNA says it is expected to handle about 200,000 passenger trips a day, possibly rising to about 300,000 once the MTR Northern Link Spur Line is commissioned. The old port averaged 40,000 travellers a day. 1 2 Centre · 2Officials and commentators placed the opening in the context of Greater Bay Area integration. Guangdong Party secretary Huang Kunming urged Shenzhen to use the port to align with Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis plan and said its co-location arrangement reflected "one country, two systems". Lee said it promotes "hard connectivity" and "connectivity of hearts", and a Hong Kong legislator said the shorter clearance could be extended to other ports if it succeeds. 1 2