Hong Kong’s redeveloped Huanggang Port could begin operations as early as October 12, allowing cross-border travellers to complete dual immigration procedures in a single inspection under a new joint clearance system.
The South China Morning Post learned on Friday that authorities were aiming to open the facility on that date, although the decision would depend on its operational readiness.
An October 12 launch date would meet the government’s target of starting operations in the fourth quarter this year.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in his policy address this week that the facility would adopt a co-location arrangement and introduce a new “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” model to improve efficiency and passenger clearance experience.
Under the system, travellers will be able to complete Hong Kong and mainland Chinese immigration procedures in one go by having their documents read or their faces scanned at automated channels.
Cross-border drivers will similarly be able to complete procedures for both jurisdictions through a “five-party inspection” arrangement at joint one-stop vehicle lanes.
The complex, located in Shenzhen’s Futian district, will replace the existing Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang crossing arrangements, under which passengers must clear Hong Kong immigration, take a shuttle bus across the Shenzhen River and undergo mainland clearance separately.
Authorities said the new system could reduce the typical clearance time from about 30 minutes to five. Huanggang will be the first boundary control point to use the joint inspection model, under which travellers queue only once despite being processed by officers from both jurisdictions.
The opening follows about six years of redevelopment and months of operational tests.
Security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung said in August that authorities would conduct more than 100 exercises, including large-scale drills involving at least 10,000 participants, to test passenger flows, transport arrangements and emergency responses.
Authorities have said the redeveloped port will initially be able to handle 200,000 passenger trips a day, with capacity potentially rising to 300,000 in future.
Hong Kong’s first five-year plan, released alongside the policy address, also identified a Northern Link spur line connecting to the new Huanggang Port as one of the major railway projects supporting the Northern Metropolis megaproject.
The redeveloped Huanggang crossing will increase the capacity of Hong Kong’s boundary control points and facilitate the movement of cross-border passengers, according to the five-year blueprint.
The additional capacity comes as cross-border travel continues to grow. Hong Kong received 36.67 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, an 11 per cent increase from the same period in 2025, with mainland travellers accounting for about 78 per cent of the total. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
