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Hong Kong and mainland China border reopening

Hong Kong and mainland China border reopening
Latest news and updates on the reopening of the border between Hong Kong and mainland China amid the coronavirus pandemic.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Visitors enjoy the Christmas snowscape at MixC World shopping centre. Photo: Oscar Liu
Hong Kong economy

Christmas on the mainland? Hongkongers opt for festive fun across the border

Holidaymakers say Shenzhen’s open spaces and budget-friendly options drew them to city’s attractions.

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Shenzhen

Hongkongers find lure of Greater Bay Area’s attractions hard to resist: survey

Hong Kong tourism

Return of multi-entry visas crucial for Hong Kong tourism recovery, observers say

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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong newborns to get mainland China entry permits on the spot at border

New arrangement at four border checkpoints will replace current five-working-day waiting time, but no implementation date set.

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Passengers line up to pass through the Lo Wu control point heading to Shenzhen. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong property

Letters | What Hong Kong can do to improve its office occupancy rate

Readers discuss viable measures to control supply and raise demand, visiting mainland China on the new travel permit and how Malaysia should handle South China Sea tensions.

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong may add more voting sites near border for mainland-based residents

But constitutional affairs chief Erick Tsang says authorities have no plans to revise voting laws to allow Hongkongers to vote outside city.

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Hong Kong economy

Business chambers hail 5-year mainland China travel visa for Hong Kong expats

Foreign employees at overseas companies registered in Hong Kong eligible for multi-entry visas for cross-border travel valid for five years, up from two.

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Residents travelling to mainland China for business, tourism, family visits and cultural and academic exchanges can apply for the visas, which permit stays of up to 180 days at a time. Photo: Sam Tsang
Banking & finance

Wealthy Asians drawn to Hong Kong’s varied investment choices: Citibank

High-net-worth individuals from mainland China and Asia use Hong Kong to invest their wealth as they seek wider investment choices and better returns.

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong customs warns cross-border shoppers against bringing raw meat and eggs

Department says number of cases so far this year has surpassed 2023 tally by 30 per cent, as health authorities warn of hygiene risks.

Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong expects 10 million trips at border crossings over National Day break

Immigration Department warns travellers to expect longer waiting times than usual from this weekend until October 7.

Extra frontline officers will be deployed at border crossings to operate clearance counters and kiosks, as well as manage passenger flow. Photo: Elson Li
Hong Kong tourism

Cheap tours in focus as Hong Kong guide loses licence for scolding mainlanders

Some tourism officials say incident is isolated, while others stress it has harmed the sector’s reputation.

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Tourists visit at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Authorities have struck off a tour guide who threatened mainland Chinese visitors. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong tour guide struck off for threatening mainlanders reluctant to shop

Travel Industry Authority says Lam Chun-fai’s actions ‘absolutely unacceptable’ after investigating complaints by tour group.

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Hong Kong property

Chinachem’s Nina Hospitality aims to move up market, eyes overseas expansion

Nina’s managing director said it is looking at expanding on the mainland and overseas, while becoming an upscale hotel group in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong property

Spanish retailer snags prime Hong Kong shop at 50% discount amid retail slump

The monthly rent for the 14,000 sq ft space at Asia Standard Tower in Queen’s Road Central is HK$1.25 million (US$160,220), 55 per cent lower than the all-time high in 2012.

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Spanish retailer Mango will occupy two levels at Asia Standard Tower in Queen’s Road Central from September. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong home store chain Pricerite and Tom Lee Music shut branches

Pricerite, a major furniture and electrical appliances store, shuts two branches; Tom Lee Music also closes two shops.

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A customer looks at signs on the now-closed Tom Lee Music store in Kennedy Town. Photo: Dickson Lee
Banking & finance

Mainland Chinese buying spree boosts AIA’s first-half profit 53%

Asia’s largest insurer posted its best first-half profit in five years at US$3.31 billion and beat analysts’ estimates of US$3.27 billion.

Hong Kong

Outback shuts 9 Hong Kong steak houses, as diners head to mainland China

American restaurant Outback Steakhouse will close nearly half its branches in Hong Kong, as high rents and weak sales take their toll.

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Hong Kong economy

Letters | Hong Kong can capitalise on mainland China’s tourism moves

Readers discuss the implications for Hong Kong of the expansion of visa-free travel to the mainland, and the ban on pets on public transport in the city.

Tourists from Italy pose for a photo after practicing tai chi at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, on July 9. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong patients flock to mainland Chinese hospitals for faster, cheaper help

Long waiting times for public healthcare services, high drug prices in Hong Kong send residents across the border.

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Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Growing number of Hong Kong’s domestic helpers visiting the mainland for holidays

Trend among helpers has boosted the business of travel agencies offering low-fare day trips across the border.

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Hong Kong property

Mainland retailers struggle to survive Hong Kong’s sky-high rents, competition

A tide of mainland Chinese retail brands expanding in Hong Kong appears to have ebbed, with several food and beverage chains ending their tenancies as their businesses come under pressure

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People pass by a closed shop in Mong Kok The city’s famously high property rents are a constant threat to the survival of retailers. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Hong Kong economy

Beauty chain Sa Sa’s profit soars as mainlanders return to shop in Hong Kong

Hong Kong beauty products retailer Sa Sa International saw its profit jump almost fourfold in the last financial year as the number of mainland Chinese tourists returning to shop in the city continued to rise.

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The cosmetics chain reported a gain of 276 per cent in earnings to HK$218.9 million (US$28 million) for the year ended March 31. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Hong Kong transport

Call for Hong Kong and mainland authorities to reduce border bridge jams

Some residents returning home using Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge at end of long weekend stuck for hours as traffic backed up.

Hong Kong society

Costly Hong Kong dental care pushes more patients across border to fill service gaps

Growing trend sees Hongkongers heading to mainland China for cheaper, more timely services.

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Insurance

Hong Kong life insurance sales surge amid soaring demand from mainland visitors

Life insurance sales in Hong Kong surged by 39 per cent in the first quarter thanks to a world record policy sold by HSBC Life and strong growth in the number of mainland Chinese visitors buying policies in the city, according to data from the industry regulator.

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Insurance sales agents approach mainland tourists in Tsim Sha Tsui on February 20, 2024. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong tourism

Beijing adds 8 mainland Chinese cities to Hong Kong solo traveller scheme

Cities are all provincial and regional capitals, including Urumqi in Xinjiang, Lhasa in Tibet and Harbin in Heilongjiang.

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Tourists at Golden Bauhinia Square. An industry head says the latest update is a “strategic move” as it will enhance Hong Kong’s role as an aviation hub. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong puts on extra transport as Taiwan’s Mayday plays last concert in series

Rock group set to hit stage at Central harbourfront at 7.15pm to play final in seven-show tour of city after one concert postponed last week.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong must turn Greater Bay Area integration challenges into opportunities

Hong Kong’s economic rebound depends, in the short term at least, on encouraging more mainland visitors, and getting them to spend more. n the longer term, to remedy the city’s housing and labour shortages, the government should develop a strategy to make use of the mainland’s resources and talent.

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