CE attends opening ceremony of revamped Huanggang Port

The revamped Huanggang Port is set to commence operations tomorrow.

This as leaders from Hong Kong and the mainland attended the structure's opening ceremony this morning, with Chief Executive John Lee noting that the upgraded port signalled a major step in boosting connections throughout the Greater Bay Area.

An opening ceremony for the revamped Huanggang Port was earlier held at the Mainland Port Area.

Among its primary attendees were Chief Executive John Lee, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress Huang Chuping, and Party Secretary of Shenzhen Jin Lei.

Delivering his speech in both Cantonese and Putonghua, the CE said the upgraded Huanggang Port carries immense symbolic weight, as it deepens connections between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area as well as the implementation of "collaborative inspection and joint clearance".

Lee added the revamped port infrastructure will increase traffic, communication and commerce between the city and Shenzhen, and push for further integration within the region.

The city's leader and Shenzhen officials later assessed the facility and tried crossing the border via the updated installations.

They subsequently reviewed the port's vehicle checkpoint and preparations for the self-service channels.

This as the revamped port is set for service at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, while Immigration Department personnel tested the e-channels granting access from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

For those using the facial recognition option, the border-crossing procedure was completed in just 20 seconds.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang also made his way to the port to monitor the final preparations for its opening.

Upon entry into Shenzhen, the facility will display signage indicating various exit options for travellers, including eight elevators leading to buses and taxis on level B1 or the metro on level B2.