More Hong Kong and Macao residents driving to mainland

Driving northward into the Chinese mainland has become a popular travel method for Hong Kong and Macao residents, as the number of single-license-plate vehicles from the two special administrative regions entering and exiting through the Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has increased significantly.

As of 11:50 am on Monday, the number of such vehicles surpassed 10 million since polices allowing Macao and Hong Kong cars driving northward into the mainland were implemented in 2023, according to statistics from the Zhuhai border inspection authorities of the mega cross-sea bridge.

The policies have been warmly received by residents of Hong Kong and Macao, with a continued surge in application filings, the border inspection authorities said.

As of Monday, more than 228,000 drivers have completed border inspection registration under the policies, with over 192,000 vehicles registered.

With a simple application process, the policies have significantly expanded the living and working space for residents of Hong Kong and Macao, as they do not impose investment or tax restrictions.

"More residents are choosing to drive northward to the mainland for tourism, visiting families, leisure activities, consumption, entrepreneurship, and property investment, with increased frequency of travel," Zhang Lei, deputy director of the border inspection authorities of the bridge, said.

According to data from the border inspection authorities, the annual growth rate of Hong Kong and Macao travelers entering and exiting through the Zhuhai port of the bridge has reached 34 percent, with nearly 18 million trips recorded in 2025.

As the benefits of the policies continue to unfold, border inspection authorities anticipate that the number of travelers will surpass 20 million for the first time in 2026.