Hengqin Port crossings surpass 20 million as traffic hits record highs

The Hengqin Port between Zhuhai and Macau continues to set new records, with the immigration department of the Public Security Police Force (PSP) reporting that the border checkpoint surpassed 20 million crossings last week, about 50 days earlier than last year.

According to the same authorities, the number of trips recorded through the checkpoint was 28.4% higher than during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, July alone accounted for more than 2.8 million border movements, representing a 26% year-on-year increase and setting a new monthly record.

The statistics show that, of the more than 2.8 million crossings in July, 1.8 million involved mainland residents visiting Macau, a 27% year-on-year increase, while the number of Macau residents crossing the border rose 33% to more than 850,000.

The largest increase was recorded among foreign visitors, whose numbers rose 37% to 46,000.

Data released by immigration authorities in Zhuhai also showed another record for July, with a total of 379,000 vehicle crossings recorded through the port. The figure represented a 29% year-on-year increase.

The same authorities were also cited in a report by state-owned People’s Daily, which attributed the growing popularity of Hengqin Port to increased use by families and student groups, who accounted for a significant share of the recorded traffic during the summer vacation period.

The increased use of the border checkpoint may also be linked to higher passenger numbers on Macau’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system, which recorded a daily average of 24,000 passengers in July, up 18.2% year on year.