With New Year’s Eve festivities drawing hundreds of thousands of revellers to both sides of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong boundary, immigration authorities in the Greater Bay Area have moved quickly to prevent a post-midnight bottleneck. Shenzhen’s General Border Checkpoint announced on 31 December that Luohu (Lo Wu) Control Point would remain open until 2:00 a.m. on 1 January, while the normally midnight-closing Shenzhen Bay checkpoint will stay in continuous operation until 6:30 a.m. Cross-boundary vehicles authorised for Huanggang, Wenjindu, Liantang and Shatoujiao may also use Shenzhen Bay during the overnight window, giving freight operators and coach companies a crucial overflow channel.
The decision follows passenger-flow forecasts of up to 1.03 million crossings on New Year’s Day and a three-day average of 950 000 movements, driven by pent-up demand for holiday shopping, family reunions and a packed calendar of concerts and light shows on both sides of the boundary. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has already cancelled leave for frontline officers and activated an inter-departmental Joint Command Centre to redeploy manpower in real time, while MTR Corporation is running overnight East Rail services to match the extended Luohu opening.
For businesses, the extended hours are more than a public-relations gesture. Retailers in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay rely on mainland shoppers for up to 30 % of New Year turnover, while hotels in Shenzhen’s Futian district report occupancy rates above 90 %. Allowing passengers to clear immigration after the Victoria Harbour countdown fireworks removes a significant chokepoint and reduces the likelihood of staff shortages for 1 January shifts in Hong Kong’s hospitality and transport sectors.
![Shenzhen and Hong Kong extend Luohu and Shenzhen Bay operating hours to cope with New Year’s Eve border surge]()
Travellers and mobility managers who still need to sort out visas for Hong Kong or mainland China can avoid last-minute headaches by using VisaHQ’s digital application and document-checking services, which walk applicants through every step and arrange secure courier delivery where required; more information can be found at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/.
Corporate mobility managers should alert cross-border commuters to the new schedule and encourage enrolment in e-Channel or Mainland “Smart Passage” systems to shave several minutes off each clearance. Companies routing time-sensitive cargo through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge or Huanggang should note that those ports remain 24-hour but could still face congestion spikes between 12:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.; advance booking of truck slots and real-time GPS monitoring are recommended.
Longer-term, the overnight pilot at Shenzhen Bay will provide data for both governments as they weigh whether to adopt permanent 24-hour passenger service at all three major land checkpoints—a move the logistics industry argues is essential if the Greater Bay Area is to function as an integrated economic zone.
The decision follows passenger-flow forecasts of up to 1.03 million crossings on New Year’s Day and a three-day average of 950 000 movements, driven by pent-up demand for holiday shopping, family reunions and a packed calendar of concerts and light shows on both sides of the boundary. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has already cancelled leave for frontline officers and activated an inter-departmental Joint Command Centre to redeploy manpower in real time, while MTR Corporation is running overnight East Rail services to match the extended Luohu opening.
For businesses, the extended hours are more than a public-relations gesture. Retailers in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay rely on mainland shoppers for up to 30 % of New Year turnover, while hotels in Shenzhen’s Futian district report occupancy rates above 90 %. Allowing passengers to clear immigration after the Victoria Harbour countdown fireworks removes a significant chokepoint and reduces the likelihood of staff shortages for 1 January shifts in Hong Kong’s hospitality and transport sectors.
Travellers and mobility managers who still need to sort out visas for Hong Kong or mainland China can avoid last-minute headaches by using VisaHQ’s digital application and document-checking services, which walk applicants through every step and arrange secure courier delivery where required; more information can be found at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/.
Corporate mobility managers should alert cross-border commuters to the new schedule and encourage enrolment in e-Channel or Mainland “Smart Passage” systems to shave several minutes off each clearance. Companies routing time-sensitive cargo through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge or Huanggang should note that those ports remain 24-hour but could still face congestion spikes between 12:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.; advance booking of truck slots and real-time GPS monitoring are recommended.
Longer-term, the overnight pilot at Shenzhen Bay will provide data for both governments as they weigh whether to adopt permanent 24-hour passenger service at all three major land checkpoints—a move the logistics industry argues is essential if the Greater Bay Area is to function as an integrated economic zone.
