Huanggang Port praised for ‘light speed’ checks, but some find layout huge

More than 42,000 travellers and 5,700 vehicles passed through the revamped Huanggang Port on Monday under a “smooth” first-day run of the new “joint clearance” system to cross between Hong Kong and mainland China, as officials braced for larger crowds over the coming long weekend.

Early bird travellers and residents simply curious to see how the new system worked were the first to pass through the facility when it opened at 6.30am, with some calling the clearance process “light speed”.

Many travellers said they approved of the new approach, by which travellers heading in either direction need only show one identification document. Others also said they were impressed with the architecture of the building, which took six years to construct.

But others found the facility mazelike and simply too huge to cross quickly, which undercut the appeal of the new clearance process.