Holidaymakers hoping for a quick hop to the mainland found themselves in marathon lines as the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) reached capacity on 25 December. By 9 p.m., Hong Kong Immigration counted 644,000 outbound trips—up 16 percent year-on-year—with 86 percent made by locals taking advantage of cheaper mainland hotel rates and expanded multiple-entry visas.
Crowds spilled outside the HZMB departure hall; wait times for the Gold Bus shuttle exceeded 90 minutes. Police issued real-time alerts warning of congestion at Shenzhen Bay, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, advising travellers to stagger departure times or use lesser-known crossings such as Heung Yuen Wai.
![Christmas gridlock: tens of thousands queue at Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge]()
For travellers keen to avoid paperwork snags that can compound those long queues, VisaHQ offers a streamlined way to secure or renew China multiple-entry visas online, complete with status tracking and deadline reminders—details are at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
Retailers on both sides of the boundary saw opportunity amid the chaos. Shenzhen malls extended operating hours, and duty-free operators at Macao’s Cotai strip offered flash sales to capture diverted traffic. Still, HR teams should remind staff that overstay fines apply even for inadvertent delays returning to Hong Kong; employees using home-return permits must ensure sufficient validity to re-enter.
The episode underscores the Greater Bay Area’s surging integration—and the infrastructure stress that can follow. Authorities are already studying dynamic toll pricing and appointment systems to smooth peak flows during Lunar New Year.
Crowds spilled outside the HZMB departure hall; wait times for the Gold Bus shuttle exceeded 90 minutes. Police issued real-time alerts warning of congestion at Shenzhen Bay, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, advising travellers to stagger departure times or use lesser-known crossings such as Heung Yuen Wai.
For travellers keen to avoid paperwork snags that can compound those long queues, VisaHQ offers a streamlined way to secure or renew China multiple-entry visas online, complete with status tracking and deadline reminders—details are at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
Retailers on both sides of the boundary saw opportunity amid the chaos. Shenzhen malls extended operating hours, and duty-free operators at Macao’s Cotai strip offered flash sales to capture diverted traffic. Still, HR teams should remind staff that overstay fines apply even for inadvertent delays returning to Hong Kong; employees using home-return permits must ensure sufficient validity to re-enter.
The episode underscores the Greater Bay Area’s surging integration—and the infrastructure stress that can follow. Authorities are already studying dynamic toll pricing and appointment systems to smooth peak flows during Lunar New Year.
