Published : 2024-06-13
As the trend of Hong Kong residents heading to Mainland China for vacations continues, the number of borer crossings through the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) reached a record high since its opening during the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai are the most favoured cities by Hong Kong and Macao tourists, especially those who drive to Zhuhai to enjoy seafood.
Hong Kong and Macao tourists love Zhuhai
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is the only designated crossing for the "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" (港車北上) and "Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles" (澳車北上) policies.
Data shows that this year, up to 11.3 million passengers have travelled through the Zhuhai Port of the HZMB, a nearly 1.2-fold increase year-on-year; the number of vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao exceeded 2.652 million times, with an average monthly growth of over 10%.
Passenger and vehicular traffic at Zhuhai Port has set new records for four times. The average daily passenger and vehicle traffic reached 81,000 and 18,000 respectively, 1.6 times and 1.4 times of that on weekdays.
And the highest records of daily passenger and vehicle flow exceeded 144,000 people and 19,500 vehicles respectively, creating a new record for the port.
What makes Zhuhai so attractive to a large number of Hong Kong and Macao tourists?
HK and Macao tourists praise Zhuhai's affordable and high-quality seafood
Baiteng Neighborhood (白藤街道) in Doumen District of Zhuhai is one of the popular destinations for Hong Kong and Macao tourists heading north for consumption.
On weekends and holidays, a large number of vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao often are often found around the vicinity of the Baitengtou Fishery Wholesale Market (白藤頭水產批發市場), with nearly a kilometre-long queue of cars waiting outside the parking lot.
The market is the second largest seafood distribution centre in Guangdong which is under stringent supervision for quality assurance by the authorities of Zhuhai.
Dealers wishing to sell seafood here must sign undertakings to ensure genuine goods and fair trading.
As such, Hong Kong and Macao tourists can relax and enjoy seafood in the market. Some interviewed tourists highly praised the market, expressing their delight in enjoying affordable and authentic Cantonese-style seafood here.
"Absolutely worth it, so authentic! Once tasted, you'll crave for more."
Wanzai Seafood Street (灣仔海鮮街) is another distinctive street in Zhuhai that attracts tourists from Hong Kong and Macao.
Every night after 7 pm, especially on weekends or holidays, the local seafood stalls are often crowded with long queues of customers.
The business model of Wanzai Seafood Street is quite special. Customers can directly purchase seafood in the market, and then bring it to the restaurant for cooking, which is well received by cost-conscious tourists from Hong Kong and Macao who like to "get hands-on".
According to the person in charge, a third of the customers at Wanzai Seafood Street are from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
In addition, Wanzai Seafood Street is adjacent to attractions such as Chimelong, the world's largest ocean theme park in Hengqin.
After having fun in Chimelong, tourists need just less than half an hour's drive to get to the seafood street, which is very convenient.
Also, Wanzai Port (灣仔口岸) is nearby the seafood street, and it is very easy for Hong Kong and Macao tourists to get there by boat.
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