Passengers welcome faster clearance at reopened Huanggang Port

Video by Liu Xudong

The rebuilt Huanggang Port connecting Shenzhen and Hong Kong opened at 6:30 a.m. today, with the first passengers praising a new immigration system that cuts border clearance time from about 30 minutes to just five.

An aerial view of the rebuilt Huanggang Port in Futian, which officially opened to travelers this morning. Photos from Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

Passengers walk through a sunlit hall at the rebuilt Huanggang Port, which opened today with upgraded facilities and streamlined immigration procedures.

A woman surnamed Huang, the first passenger to enter Shenzhen from Hong Kong, said the new system was a welcome improvement for frequent cross-border travelers.

Huang, who lives on the Chinese mainland and works in Hong Kong, said she previously had to go through two separate immigration procedures, making her daily commute time-consuming.

"The whole experience was very good, and the process was fast," she said, adding that the port's 24-hour service was especially convenient for night-shift workers.

Ms. Huang, the first passenger to enter Shenzhen from Hong Kong through the rebuilt Huanggang Port, passes through an automated immigration gate at the port this morning. 

Reporters interview Ms. Huang, the first passenger who entered Shenzhen from Hong Kong through the rebuilt Huanggang Port this morning.

The upgraded port introduces a "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" system, allowing eligible passengers to complete immigration procedures for both Shenzhen and Hong Kong by queuing once and presenting their documents once.

Automated clearance can take as little as 20 seconds.

The improvements also extend to vehicles. The driver of the first cross-border bus entering Shenzhen said the inspection took just one or two minutes, compared with more than 10 minutes previously.

Vehicles pass through inspection lanes at the rebuilt Huanggang Port, which features a new joint clearance system designed to speed up cross-border traffic.

A cross-border bus driver gives a thumbs-up after passing through the newly reopened Huanggang Port today.

The rebuilt facility has 134 automated inspection channels, 68 staffed counters and 28 vehicle lanes. It is designed to handle 200,000 passenger trips daily.

The spacious immigration hall at the rebuilt Huanggang Port features a distinctive geometric ceiling, rows of inspection counters and automated immigration gates.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, Huang Chuping, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, and Jin Lei, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shenzhen Municipal Committee, attended an opening ceremony Sunday.

Lee said the new port would improve cross-border connectivity and support closer economic cooperation between the two cities.

The new facility replaces the previous passenger clearance arrangements at the temporary Huanggang Port building in Shenzhen and Hong Kong's Lok Ma Chau Control Point, while maintaining 24-hour service.