Five years on, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge connects Greater Bay Area with 36 million cross-border trips

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Photo: VCG

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), which celebrates its fifth anniversary on Tuesday, has facilitated trips of 36 million cross-border travelers and 7.5 million vehicles since its opening on October 24, 2018, according to Gongbei Customs District in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. The bridge has played a pivotal role in facilitating the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and boosting  economic and trade growth. 

As of late September 2023, the total import and export volume through the Zhuhai Highway Port of the bridge amounted to 718.75 billion yuan ($98.2 billion).  

From 2018 to 2023, a total of 19.8 million travelers  from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions arrived in and departed from the Chinese mainland through the port. In August alone, about 1 million trips were made via the port, 2.2 times increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Under the northbound travel program for Macao and Hong Kong vehicle programs that took effect earlier this year, the vehicle traffic flow at the bridge has set a record high for five consecutive days during the just-passed eight-day Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays. To date, more than 43,000 Hong Kong and Macao single-plate vehicles have signed in the program. 

As the world's largest sea-crossing bridge-tunnel system, the 55-kilometer-long HZMB links Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao, it began construction in 2009 and opened to public on October 24, 2018.

During its five years of operation, the bridge has shortened the driving time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai and Macao from three hours to about 45 minutes, with the 24-hour customs clearance service at the control points, the bridge has changed Hong Kong residents' choices when traveling. 

A Hong Kong resident surnamed Guan used to travel between Zhuhai and Hong Kong via ferry with her husband, they switched to taking shuttle buses after HZMB opened to public in 2018. Now, with the application of northbound travel program, they drive to Zhuhai in their own car, citing an interview posted by Gongbei Customs District. 

The bridge has also boosted travel in the Greater Bay Area, as an architectural wonder, it is now a popular tourism attraction in the area, during the eight-day National Day holidays, it has carried more than 500,000 passengers in over 90,000 vehicles, making it the first in China's ports for most inbound and outbound vehicles.