Hengqin Port, a crucial border crossing in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, adjacent to Macao, experienced a strong uptrend in inbound and outbound passenger and vehicle traffic as the Spring Festival holiday is around the corner and a new visa scheme has started to facilitate travel between the two neighboring cities.

On Saturday, the port handled over 100,000 passenger entries and exits, and more than 8,800 vehicle trips, a year-on-year increase of 67 percent and 51 percent, respectively. Among them, the number of vehicles reached a historical high since the port was established in 2000, according to the Hengqin Border Inspection Station.

Starting Jan 1, 2025, Zhuhai residents can now apply for a travel permit to visit Macao once a week, while Hengqin residents can apply for a multiple-entry visa.

The new visa police is seen as China's latest efforts to enhance mobility and foster deeper integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Greater Bay Area, encompassing China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and nine cities in Guangdong, is home to around 86 million people. It serves as a hub for innovation, finance and trade, maintaining dynamic connections to global markets.
"At Hengxing Port, I only need to swipe my card once to pass through customs. The entire process is very quick, taking just one or two minutes. It's also convenient since customs is open 24 hours a day," said a student of the University of Macao.

"The approaching Spring Festival holiday brings an increase in multiple-entry visa holders and tourists traveling to Macao. Thus, the passenger flow at Hengqin Port remains high," said Zhang Xin, deputy head of the Border Inspection Department under the Hengqin Border Inspection Station.

The Spring Festival, falling on Jan 29 this year, is the grandest traditional festival in China and an occasion for family reunion. In 2025, the Spring Festival holiday will be extended one day more to eight days from Jan 28 to Feb 4.