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Denise Tsang

Harvey Kong

Oscar Liu

Tens of thousands of people were stuck for hours at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge early on Christmas Day, while the number of outbound trips by Hongkongers as of Thursday night saw an about 16 per cent rise from last year.
Hong Kong police and the MTR Corporation also warned on Thursday morning that Shenzhen Bay, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line control points were crowded and that travellers could expect longer waiting times to cross the border.
Immigration Department figures showed Hong Kong residents had made about 644,000 outbound trips by 9pm on Thursday, higher than the around 552,000 such trips recorded by the same time on Christmas Day in 2024.
This year, residents accounted for nearly 86 per cent of the 751,752 outbound trips recorded as of 9pm.
Hong Kong’s net outflow for Christmas Day stood at 404,741 by that time.
This year’s Christmas Day and Boxing Day fell on Thursday and Friday, giving Hongkongers a four-day weekend.
A Post reporter at the Hong Kong port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge observed at around lunchtime on Thursday that the departure hall was packed with tens of thousands of people, who waited at least 1½ hours in lines to get on the cross-border Gold Bus.
A long line of vehicles was also seen queuing to cross the border in the afternoon.
Immigration authorities said the top five checkpoints for departing Hongkongers were Lo Wu, the Lok Ma Chau Spur line, Shenzhen Bay, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the airport.
On the mainland side in Luohu, crowds packed the entire open space outside the shopping centre connected to the checkpoint.
Many revellers were seen wearing red and white Christmas hats.

At the West Kowloon terminus, travellers – many with children – filled the concourse for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.
Many were travelling to destinations beyond Shenzhen, such as Foshan, Zhanjiang and even as far as Jiangxi province.
A Hong Kong resident in his thirties, surnamed Hon, said he was travelling with his wife, son and daughter, with the whole family in a celebratory mood and wearing Christmas hats.
“Spending for the whole family is more economical in Shenzhen. We plan to spend less than HK$10,000 [US$1,286] for several days,” he said.
Another traveller, surnamed Tam, was heading to Zhanjiang with several friends and budgeted about 3,000 to 4,000 yuan (US$427 to US$569) each for a four-day holiday.
“It is because spending there is value for money,” she said.
On Christmas Eve, the Hong Kong government said it had coordinated with various local and cross-border transport operators to boost their services during the long weekend to accommodate the public’s travelling needs.
These included shuttle buses on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, cross-border coaches and the MTR.


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Hong Kong’s border checkpoints pack with outbound travellers on Christmas Day. Photo: Emily Hung

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Immigration Department figures show Hong Kong residents made about 644,000 outbound trips by 9pm on Thursday


Immigration Department figures show Hong Kong residents made about 644,000 outbound trips by 9pm on Thursday.


Thousands stuck for hours at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Christmas Day

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Immigration Department figures show Hong Kong residents made about 644,000 outbound trips by 9pm on Thursday

Immigration Department figures show Hong Kong residents made about 644,000 outbound trips by 9pm on Thursday