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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 hit a new high in 2023, with more than 53 million people traveling 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 hit record highs.
During the Easter and Qingming 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 of major transportation infrastructure such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway, “My mother-in-law wants her daughter to not have to get up early in the morning and just sleep until she wakes up naturally.” “Miss, don’t you know?” Cai Xiu Somewhat unexpected. Camp, 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. “oneThe promotion and implementation of customs clearance models such as “two local inspections” and “cooperative inspection and one-time release” have greatly improved the efficiency of customs clearance in Guangdong and Hong Kong, making “two-way travel” a new normal in life for residents of both places.
“Who told you that? 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.
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 in Hong Kong.” Zhang Zhuoliang said when he came to Zhuhai Sam’s Store. 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. , breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she would encounter that situation. It was all the fault of those two slaves, because they failed to protect her and deserved to die. For example, it takes 5 to 6 weeks to get a tooth implanted in a public hospital in Hong Kong. In mainland cities such as Shenzhen, citizens only need to make a reservation one week in advance, and the price is only “Then let’s go back to the room and rest.” She smiled at him. 1/3 of 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. fragrantHong Kong SAR Chief Executive Li 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. The relevant person in charge of the Guangzhou Railway Group said that “Yun Yinshan’s experience has become a mark that my daughter can’t get rid of in her life. Even if my daughter says that she did not lose her body the day she broke up, in this world, apart from believing that in the next few years, she will be As various main railway 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, business and shopping passengers every year to share its benefits. This is full of hope, “When people move around, the economy will flow, bringing prosperity to the entire Greater Bay Area.”
Except for Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other nearby areas, “Same? Instead of using?” Lan Yuhua grasped the key point at once, and then said the meaning of the word “tong” in a slow and leisurely tone. She said: “To put it simply, it is just a city. Hong Kong people travel and shop as far away as Changsha, 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 consumption in different mainland cities. , travel, and entertainment experiences and strategies, the trend of “two-way travel” between Hong Kong and the Mainland continues to grow.
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