Cross-border commuters received a rare New-Year’s gift just hours before the countdown when immigration authorities on both sides of the boundary announced emergency operating-hour extensions at the two busiest land ports.
For one night only, Luohu/Lo Wu stayed open until 02:00 on 1 January and Shenzhen Bay – normally a midnight cut-off – ran through to 06:30. The measure was triggered by forecasts of up to 1.03 million crossings on New-Year’s Day and an average of 950 000 a day over the 1–3 January holiday period. Freight operators also benefited: trucks authorised for other ports were temporarily allowed to divert to Shenzhen Bay, providing a pressure-relief valve for just-in-time deliveries serving Hong Kong retailers and Macau casino kitchens.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department cancelled leave for front-line officers, activated a Joint Command Centre and coordinated with MTR to run all-night East Rail trains. On the mainland side, surge staffing and temporary queuing lanes were activated, while Shenzhen Metro extended services past midnight to funnel visitors back to hotels in Futian.
![Shenzhen and Hong Kong keep Luohu & Shenzhen Bay checkpoints open overnight to ease New-Year rush]()
If your company plans to take advantage of future late-night crossings, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong team can fast-track visa and travel-permit applications, monitor ever-changing entry rules for both the SAR and the mainland, and keep your travellers compliant without last-minute scrambles. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/.
For mobility managers the implications are immediate and strategic. Retailers in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay routinely rely on mainland shoppers for up to 30 percent of New-Year turnover; avoiding a post-fireworks bottleneck helps protect opening-day revenue targets and prevents staff shortages on 1 January shifts. Logistics planners gained an unexpected six-hour window to route high-value or temperature-sensitive cargo through Shenzhen Bay, shaving road miles compared with Huanggang.
Corporate travel teams should brief assignees that the overnight opening was a pilot; normal closing times (00:00) resume on 2 January. However, both governments will study data from the trial as they weigh long-standing industry calls for 24-hour passenger service at the three main land crossings to support Greater Bay Area integration.
For one night only, Luohu/Lo Wu stayed open until 02:00 on 1 January and Shenzhen Bay – normally a midnight cut-off – ran through to 06:30. The measure was triggered by forecasts of up to 1.03 million crossings on New-Year’s Day and an average of 950 000 a day over the 1–3 January holiday period. Freight operators also benefited: trucks authorised for other ports were temporarily allowed to divert to Shenzhen Bay, providing a pressure-relief valve for just-in-time deliveries serving Hong Kong retailers and Macau casino kitchens.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department cancelled leave for front-line officers, activated a Joint Command Centre and coordinated with MTR to run all-night East Rail trains. On the mainland side, surge staffing and temporary queuing lanes were activated, while Shenzhen Metro extended services past midnight to funnel visitors back to hotels in Futian.
If your company plans to take advantage of future late-night crossings, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong team can fast-track visa and travel-permit applications, monitor ever-changing entry rules for both the SAR and the mainland, and keep your travellers compliant without last-minute scrambles. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/.
For mobility managers the implications are immediate and strategic. Retailers in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay routinely rely on mainland shoppers for up to 30 percent of New-Year turnover; avoiding a post-fireworks bottleneck helps protect opening-day revenue targets and prevents staff shortages on 1 January shifts. Logistics planners gained an unexpected six-hour window to route high-value or temperature-sensitive cargo through Shenzhen Bay, shaving road miles compared with Huanggang.
Corporate travel teams should brief assignees that the overnight opening was a pilot; normal closing times (00:00) resume on 2 January. However, both governments will study data from the trial as they weigh long-standing industry calls for 24-hour passenger service at the three main land crossings to support Greater Bay Area integration.
