The redeveloped Huangguang Port between southern China's Shenzhen City and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is expected to provide more efficient, orderly and intelligent customs services.
The Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and Related Extended Areas, collectively referred to as the Hong Kong Port Area, was commissioned on Friday, and placed under the jurisdiction of the laws of the HKSAR.
The new joint inspection building at the Huangguang Port, covering an area of 689,700 square meters, is the largest land port single building in the world.
Inside the building, officers from Shenzhen and Hong Kong will work together to allow the traveler to get through all customs procedures in only one inspection. The time for customs clearance for one traveler is expected to be shortened to around five minutes from 30 minutes.
The port facility, with five floors on the ground and four floors underground, is designed to handle 200,000 travelers every day, with no intersections between inbound and outbound travelers. After the MTR North Link is put into service, the traveler flow will increase to 300,000 every day.
"Huanggang Port is the only 24-hour passenger port between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. During summer and winter vacations, and peak concert seasons, it is often bustling with people, especially at night. We have set up a two-way fast track at the port to divert traveler flow during peak periods by temporarily changing outbound channels to inbound ones," said Chen Guanwen, an inspection officer in Shenzhen.
To upgrade cross-border passenger vehicle inspections at the port, 28 channels will open to collecting information needed by five departments -- Hong Kong customs, Hong Kong Department of Health, Hong Kong Immigration Department, Shenzhen Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection Station, and Shenzhen customs, allowing vehicles to complete customs clearance through only one inspection.
The port facility is also equipped with intelligent devices to improve work efficiency.
"It is equipped with multi-view vehicle inspection equipment, as well as intelligent X-ray machines for traveler inspection to improve work efficiency through technological means. By deploying some IoT (Internet of Things) sensing devices and applying new technologies such as digital twins, it can realize real-time perception of the entire port's operational status," said Feng Weizhen, a staff member at the digital port division of Shenzhen's Office of the Entry and Exit.
Redeveloped port between Shenzhen, Hong Kong to be more efficient, intelligent
