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The picture shows customers dining and taking photos at the “Xiaogang Night” night market in Shatoujiao, Yantian, Shenzhen. Xinhua News Agency
Recently, Hong Kong citizen Zhang Zhuoliang and his wife went to Zhuhai for shopping. “It’s very convenient to drive on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge by yourself. It takes 50 minutes to get there.” The two of them drove all the way to the hotel to check in, had afternoon tea at the hotel, took the cableway to enjoy the scenery of Zhuhai, and went to shopping malls to shop and eat, enjoying ” The convenient journey brought by “Hong Kong Trains Going North”.
Like Zhang Zhuoliang and his wife, more and more Hong Kong people choose to go north for leisure consumption. Data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department shows that the number of people traveling northward will reach a new high in 2023, with more than 53 million people traveling northward throughout the year.
Convenient and smooth
“Hong Kong people going north is not just a temporary trend, but has become a normal way of life in Hong Kong.” Hong Kong Legislative Council member Zhang Xinyu said that even on working days, many citizens go to the mainland. Especially due to the long holiday effect, the number of people traveling north has reached record highs.
During the Easter and Tomb Sweeping Day holidays that just passed, a large number of Hong Kong people went to the mainland. More and more right-hand drive vehicles are appearing in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Foshan and other places. At the Sam’s Store in Zhuhai, there are many Hong Kong and Macau single-make cars in the parking lot. Various ports staged a northward tide comparable to the Spring Festival Transport. The Zhuhai Highway Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is the only designated port for “Hong Kong vehicles going north”. As of 16:00 on April 27, the number of entry-exit vehicles has exceeded 10 million.
According to Wang Bowen, associate researcher at the Hong Kong and Macau Institute of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, convenient and smooth transportation is an important reason for setting off a new wave of Hong Kong people going north. With the opening and operation of major transportation infrastructure such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway, the “one-hour living circle” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has basically been formed. Specifically, Hong Kong people can choose between airplanes, ships, trains, buses, and self-driving. Among them, the “subway-like high-speed rail” can take Hong Kong people from West Kowloon to Futian Station and Shenzhen North Station in just ten minutes.
At the same time, the continuous innovation of customs clearance policies has also provided more convenience for Hong Kong people traveling north. There are currently as many as 15 first-class ports between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and some ports have 24-hour customs clearance. The promotion and implementation of customs clearance models such as “one place, two inspections” and “cooperative inspection and one release” have greatly improved the efficiency of customs clearance in Guangdong and Hong Kong, allowing residents of both places toPeople’s “two-way rush” has become the new normal in life.
High quality and low price
“Shopping malls and supermarkets in the mainland are so convenient. Whether shopping or eating, they are cheaper and more affordable than those in Hong Kong.” Zhang Zhuoliang, who came to the Sam’s Store in Zhuhai, said. In order to cater to the consumption boom of Hong Kong people heading north, a Hong Kong travel agency has launched a Sam’s shopping tour group for HKD 429 per person. For two people, a one-year Sam’s membership card is included as a bonus. Various delicacies in warehouse supermarkets, including pastries and hotpots, have captured the hearts of many Hong Kong consumers due to their excellent cost performance, which has also spawned a reverse purchasing craze. In addition, hot posts such as “Sam’s shopping results” and “Northbound shopping guide” that often appear on Hong Kong social platforms have prompted more and more Hong Kong people to choose to go shopping northward with friends on weekends or holidays.
Mainland consumption is diversified and affordable, providing Hong Kong people with more choices. From just having a late-night snack and a cup of milk tea at the beginning of customs clearance, to shopping for all-round daily necessities, to script writing, car washing, beauty treatments, tooth extraction, visiting the zoo, etc., Hong Kong people’s consumption in the north has continued to deepen. For example, it takes 5 to 6 weeks to get a tooth implanted in a public hospital in Hong Kong. But in inland cities such as Shenzhen, “Who told you? Your grandmother?” she asked with a wry smile, and another wave of blood-heat surged in her throat, making her swallow it before spitting it out. City, citizens only need to make a reservation one week in advance, and the price is only 1/3 of that in Hong Kong. Therefore, a large number of Hong Kong residents go to the mainland for dental treatment every year.
At the same time, the launch of “Greater Bay Area Account Opening” and the use of Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc. have greatly improved the convenience of Hong Kong people’s consumption in the mainland. At present, in many parking lots in the Greater Bay Area, the automatic identification system and smart payment system for Hong Kong license plates have been upgraded, allowing vehicles to enter and exit within seconds. In mainland cities in the Bay Area, subway stations are announced in Cantonese, the consumer environment of searching for goods and bargaining in Cantonese, as well as preferential activities and convenient measures tailored for Hong Kong people, make it easier and more convenient for Hong Kong people to travel north.
Cross-border consumption between Hong Kong and the Mainland is nothing new, but in the past, mainland tourists mostly went south to Hong Kong to shop for goods and check in. Wang Bowen believes that today’s Hong Kong people traveling north for leisure and consumption reflect the great progress made by mainland cities represented by Shenzhen and Guangzhou in economic and social development. High-quality and low-cost services and products have expanded the living space and reduced the cost of Hong Kong people. It has reduced consumption costs and improved the quality of life, and has been positively evaluated by Hong Kong people.
Integration and improvement
Behind Hong Kong people’s enthusiasm for “going north” is the continued warming of the integrated development of Guangdong and Hong Kong in recent years. Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province, said that Guangdong Province will strengthen coordination and linkage with Hong Kong, strengthen cooperation in key areas, accelerate the development of new productive forces, build major cooperation platforms, and deepen all-round integrated development. Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu said that the SAR government will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government to promote broader and deeper connectivity.
The “two-way rush” between Hong Kong and Guangdong will further promote exchanges and cooperation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and jointly promote prosperity and development. Guangzhou Railway GroupThe relevant person in charge of the delegation said that in the next few years, as various railway trunk lines and intercity tracks are completed and opened to traffic, the “Greater Bay Area on Track” will greatly speed up the circulation within 11 cities, driving more than 100 million tourists and businesses every year. Share its benefits with shopping customer flow. Hong Kong tour guide Zhang Chunhui is full of expectations for this, “Only when people move around can the economy flow, bringing prosperity to the entire Greater Bay Area.”
In addition to neighboring cities such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Hong Kong people travel and shop as far away as Changsha. Lan Yuhua sighed and was about to turn back to the room to wait for news, but how did she know that the door that had just been closed in front of her was opened again? The moment Cai Xiu left, he came back to Hangzhou, Fuzhou and other places. More and more Hong Kong car owners are sharing their experiences of driving northward on social platforms, as well as their experiences and tips on consumption, tourism, and entertainment in different cities on the mainland, making the craze for going northward continue to surge. The trend of “two-way travel” between Hong Kong and the Mainland is constantly developing and expanding.
As Li Jiachao said, consumption going north proves that the integration of Hong Kong and the mainland is well done. In the integrated development, the sense of gain and happiness of residents in the two places continues to increase. Wang Bowen said that the frequent exchanges between the two places have continuously enhanced the affinity and cohesion between compatriots, and are also conducive to the continuous exploration and expansion of the potential and space for exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Our reporter Ren Chengqi