On August 29, Shenzhen authorities and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government jointly conducted a cross-border clearance stress test at Huanggang Port, marking the largest Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaborative operation since the Hong Kong-side port area commenced operations on July 31. A total of 20,000 people and over 1,000 vehicles of various types moved through the same space and timeframe in an orderly manner.
That afternoon, at the Huanggang Port joint inspection building, the first cross-border vehicle with dual Shenzhen-Hong Kong license plates slowly entered the smart barrier of the "five-in-one" lane. The driver lowered the window and lightly scanned their credential on the self-service integrated machine. In an instant, data from the screen was simultaneously transmitted to the backend systems of five inspection agencies: Shenzhen Customs, Shenzhen Border Inspection, Hong Kong Immigration Department, Hong Kong Department of Health, and Hong Kong Customs. The first barrier remained open as the vehicle drove straight through; the second barrier prompted a brief stop for synchronized information verification; the third barrier then opened immediately—no need to exit the vehicle, no repeated inspections, one single stop for five-agency joint clearance, and the vehicle successfully crossed the border. This was the first cross-border operational test of the "five-in-one" lane at Huanggang Port.
At the same moment, 20,000 people from both Shenzhen and Hong Kong were steadily moving through the various floors of the 689,700-square-meter joint inspection building, experiencing an "ultimate trial" of clearance procedures. The exercise unfolded in four interlocking phases: "Departure and Arrival," "Internal Circulation and Testing," "Concentrated Volume Testing," and "Meeting and Review."
As the drill commenced, on the Hong Kong side, approximately 20,000 civil servants arrived at the Hong Kong-side port area in batches via designated public transportation, with nearly 400 public transport vehicles discharging passengers at the L2 public transport interchange. On the Shenzhen side, over 600 social vehicles simultaneously participated in traffic tests involving the underground connection layer and parking areas. Both personnel and vehicle "peak flows" surged at the same time, with both sides applying a unified organizational rhythm to precisely manage the load—orderliness was established from the very start.
For the first time, all 230 clearance gates at the port were activated on a large scale for real-world testing. The efficiency and system stability of self-service channels under heavy passenger flow were comprehensively assessed, yielding critical data for the official opening. Multi-departmental practical exercises ran in parallel: Customs conducted drills for resisting law enforcement by individuals suspected of smuggling goods concealed on their persons, as well as interception and inspection exercises for vehicles suspected of smuggling, testing on-site enforcement and coordinated security response capabilities. Border inspection carried out drills for "three-in-one" gate malfunctions and emergency incident handling for outbound passengers, with multiple units jointly restoring clearance order quickly. The Huanggang Police Station of the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau conducted a drill on mediating passenger disputes, testing the rapid-response mechanism for public security incidents. The Shenzhen Transport Bureau and Municipal Traffic Management Bureau undertook traffic enforcement and accident emergency response drills, thoroughly evaluating road network capacity and traffic diversion contingency plans. The Shenzhen Health Commission conducted on-site emergency medical rescue exercises.
From the simultaneous launch of drills at both ends at noon to their conclusion at 5 p.m., the official opening of Huanggang Port has now entered its final sprint phase.
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