On August 29th, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, in collaboration with relevant authorities in Shenzhen, conducted its second cross-border stress test at the rebuilt Huanggang Port. The exercise involved approximately 20,000 civil servants, more than 70 policy bureaus and departments, and nearly 300 buses. According to Mr. Tang Ping-keung, the Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong SAR government, this stands as the largest drill since the port's completion and is also the final major exercise planned by the government.
What exactly does it mean for 20,000 people to stream through in one hour? Mr. Tang presented the results at a press conference following the drill. This test operated under the intense pressure of "20,000 people per hour," double the 10,000 from the previous round. All 202 immigration counters in the Hong Kong port area were fully operational, whereas last time only about two-thirds were activated. Based on a reporter's actual experience, excluding queuing time, passengers using the "three-gate" system could complete the process in as little as 30 seconds or around one minute at most. Mr. Tang noted that the crossing process was smooth, with maximum waiting times not exceeding fifteen minutes.
This test was designed as a "circular exercise," where foot traffic started from the departure hall on the 5th floor of the Hong Kong port area, exited through automated gates and manual counters, then proceeded to the Shenzhen side before returning to Hong Kong via the arrival hall on the 4th floor, repeating the loop continuously. Mr. Tang himself participated in the experience. The Hong Kong side also designed a specialized "crowd concentration release test," simulating 15,000 individuals arriving from the mainland in 5 batches of 3,000 each, with a 5-minute interval between batches. This specific timing was calculated based on the frequency of Shenzhen Metro train arrivals.
Mr. Tang acknowledged that there are certain differences in transportation capacity between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. To address this, the Transport Department has added dedicated public transport lanes from Fanling Highway and San Tin Highway directly to the new Shenzhen Bay Link. A bus buffer area has also been set up near the port, with reserve vehicles able to arrive within 3 to 5 minutes to pick up passengers. During this exercise, the public transport interchange was tested under the intense pressure of "600 vehicles per hour," a 20% increase from last time. However, leveraging lessons learned from the previous drill, the "smooth operation was even better than during the 10,000-person test."
The "five-in-one" lane offers a genuine experience of crossing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in about a minute. This so-called "five-in-one" (joint one-stop) lane consolidates the inspection processes of five departments—Shenzhen Customs, Shenzhen Immigration Inspection, Hong Kong Immigration Department, Hong Kong Department of Health, and Hong Kong Customs—into a single lane. Mr. Tang explained, "You drive up to the collection machine, present your documents and scan your fingerprints. Once done, all the gates will open one by one, allowing you to enter the mainland—a much more convenient process than before." He also extended special thanks to the Shenzhen inspection units and relevant departments for their strong assistance during the drill, describing the synchronized test with the Shenzhen side as very smooth overall. Going a step further than the last 10,000-person exercise, vehicles underwent a real clearance test today, with individual waiting times under ten minutes and the crossing process taking about one to two minutes. Mr. Tang mentioned that his colleagues also took part in the test and found the entire process to be extremely smooth.
Beyond the clearance process itself, today's drill also carried a distinctly "practical" atmosphere. Hong Kong Customs demonstrated its anti-smuggling procedures in the vehicle inspection area. One scenario involved a private car being selected for inspection after risk assessment at a "Customs pre-screening booth." The screen directed the vehicle to the inspection area, where customs officers inquired about the travel itinerary, checked the luggage compartment, and a search dog simultaneously conducted a sniffing check. In another demonstration, Customs pre-hid a suitcase containing simulated smuggled gold in a test vehicle and utilized a "mobile X-ray vehicle inspection system" for scanning. This system incorporates backscatter X-ray detection technology, which can accurately identify high-density metals like gold and weapons, while also clearly highlighting organic substances such as drugs and explosives in the scanned images.
For the first time, the Fire Services Department participated in the drill, simulating a fire rescue scenario. In preparation for the port's opening, the Huanggang Fire Station is about to become operational, with one hydraulic platform and one rescue vehicle permanently stationed in the building. Today's drill simulated a fire involving an electric vehicle. Firefighters first inserted an "emergency plug" into the charging socket to prevent the vehicle from moving during rescue operations. They then used a thermal imaging camera to pinpoint the heat source of the lithium battery in the chassis, followed by cooling it with a high-pressure spray gun. If the fire remained uncontrollable, they would cover it with a fire blanket to cut off oxygen, and finally deploy the battery fire suppression system, which punctures the battery casing from underneath to inject water for cooling. The entire drill process was clear-cut, the equipment was professional, and it provides a solid foundation for ensuring fire safety at the port in the future.
How much longer until Huanggang Port is officially opened? Concluding his remarks, Mr. Tang stated that today's drill "achieved the expected results and was very smooth overall." This is the final large-scale full-process exercise in the plan. Next steps involve an internal review to determine if another comprehensive full-process test is necessary. A joint meeting with Shenzhen will also be held to finalize the cross-boundary arrangements based on safety and smooth operational conditions. For specific areas that still need fine-tuning, such as slow Wi-Fi reception in certain zones during peak traffic, the Hong Kong side will carry out targeted tests for improvement. The progression from 10,000 people in the last exercise to 20,000 today, from simulated tests to real vehicle crossings, and from opening two-thirds of the counters to all 202 counters being fully operational—this increasing curve in exercise intensity and realism heightens the anticipation for the official opening of Huanggang Port.
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