Hong Kong Conducts First Stress Test for Huanggang Port Passenger and Vehicle Flows

2026-08-22 17:08 Last Updated At：20:13

Over 10 000 persons join stress test at Huanggang Port (with photos/video)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (August 22) conducted the first stress test of passenger and vehicular flows with the relevant units of Shenzhen at the Huanggang Port.

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Source: AI-found images

Over 10 000 persons join stress test at Huanggang Port (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Over 10 000 persons join stress test at Huanggang Port (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

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Source: AI-found images

Over 10 000 persons join stress test at Huanggang Port (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Over 10 000 persons join stress test at Huanggang Port (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Over 10 000 civil servants from over 70 bureaux and departments had been mobilised to participate in the stress test. They were instructed to take different modes of public transport to arrive at the port, then practised immigration procedures before departure. Participants participated in cyclical trials involving more than 400 departures using vehicles dispatched by public transport operators to simulate the flow of people and vehicles arriving and departing from the port.

The drill marked the first trial of the "collaborative inspection" automated channels for passenger clearance. Participants departed through the "collaborative inspection" automated channels or manual counters at the departure hall with their Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (commonly known as the Home Visit Permit), and then returned through the automated channels or manual counters at the Shenzhen side's departure hall with their Hong Kong identity cards. This exercise tested the operation and tuning of the automated channels and related systems, and passenger flow management. The stress test also included a "crowd concentrated-flow test". A large number of participants were held on designated floors as instructed, and were subsequently released in several major batches within a short period of time, so as to simulate a situation where a large number of arriving passengers proceed to the public transport interchange during peak hours, thereby testing the management of passenger and vehicular flows, as well as co-ordination of supporting arrangements.

Meanwhile, the drill also conducted a vehicle-flow stress test involving nearly 1 000 vehicle trips on the "joint one-stop" vehicle lane level, and invited automobile associations to assist in organising private vehicles to participate together. Participating vehicles were instructed to enter the port through the new connecting road in batches. Then, they simulated the process of undergoing risk assessment by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department at the "customs front kiosks", and the process of queuing up to enter the "joint one-stop" vehicle lanes for inspection and clearance or going to the inspection area for further inspection, in order to test the vehicular flow management and on-site guidance.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, accompanied by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; and the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, inspected the drill. Mr Chan said that the drill was conducted smoothly, with a large number of passengers and vehicles entering and leaving the port building in an orderly manner and a public transport interchange capable of absorbing substantial passenger flows within a short period of time. He noted that the test closely resembled the situation at the port under high load, effectively testing the emergency coordination capabilities among departments. He hoped that all parties would summarise the experiences from the drill, continue refining details, and work closely with the Shenzhen side to press ahead with the various preparatory tasks at full steam. Upon confirmation by both sides that the port is ready for safe and smooth operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise the official opening date of the Huanggang Port and make timely announcements to the public.

Representatives from various bureaux, departments and organisations participated in the drill, including the Security Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Department of Health, the Fire Services Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service, and various public transport operators.

Port drills ensure smooth inspections

The Government has pressed ahead with inter-departmental drills at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, testing operational readiness across cross-boundary passenger clearance and vehicle inspection procedures.

Multiple departments, including the Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Government Property Agency took part in the exercises to ensure full preparedness ahead of the port’s commissioning.

During passenger clearance simulations at the departure hall, the Immigration Department tested contingency measures for a “Collaborative Inspection & Joint Clearance” automated channels breakdown that triggered heavy queuing.

In response, frontline staff redirected travellers to manual counters and co-ordinated with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection to set up temporary manual counters. Officers also deployed handheld devices to perform departure clearance for eligible Hong Kong residents, rapidly clearing the backup.

In separate passenger scenarios, immigration officers escorted a traveller who failed to pass through the automated channel to the duty room for identification document verification.

Similarly, at the arrival hall, officers guided a visitor denied entry into Hong Kong to the duty room for examination, before co-ordinating Customs inspection and escorting her back to Shenzhen.

Vehicle inspection drills at the vehicle departure hall involved the Customs & Excise Department, the Police Force, the Immigration Department, and other departments testing responses to multiple operational scenarios.

In one mock situation at the “Customs front kiosk”, a vehicle was scanned for its licence plate, and officers found that it lacked a valid Closed Road Permit. In another, a vehicle was stopped after passengers failed to disembark for Customs inspection, prompting Customs officers to direct the vehicle to an inspection area for follow-up.

Meanwhile, at the vehicle arrival hall, the Immigration Department simulated a system failure across the “joint one-stop” vehicle lanes. Officers smoothly transitioned to manual checks of identification documents. Concurrently, the Department of Health deployed to the kiosk to execute manual temperature screening using handheld infrared scanners.

Hong Kong Conducts First Stress Test for Huanggang Port Passenger and Vehicle Flows