Thousands of Travelers Face Long Delays at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Christmas Day
A bustling scene unfolded at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Christmas Day, with tens of thousands of travelers enduring lengthy delays. By Thursday afternoon, nearly 670,000 travelers had passed through Hong Kong's border checkpoints, according to the Immigration Department. This surge in travel coincided with the holiday season, as Christmas Day and Boxing Day fell on Thursday and Friday, providing Hongkongers with a four-day weekend.
The Hong Kong police and the MTR Corporation had issued warnings earlier in the day, alerting travelers to the crowded conditions at Shenzhen Bay, Lo Wu, and Lok Ma Chau Spur line control points. They advised that longer waiting times could be expected, and their predictions proved accurate. A Post reporter witnessed the scene at the Hong Kong port, observing a departure hall filled with tens of thousands of tourists and visitors, each waiting at least 1½ hours in lines for the cross-border Gold Bus.
The breakdown of traveler statistics revealed a diverse crowd: 554,827 were Hongkongers, 81,360 were mainland Chinese travelers, and 30,697 were visitors from other regions. This influx of travelers highlights the bridge's significance as a vital transportation link between Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau, especially during peak holiday periods.
