Labour Day exodus begins early as Hongkongers flock to the mainland

An early exodus for the Labour Day holiday began Thursday evening as scores of Hong Kong residents headed north to mainland China, hoping to get ahead of the anticipated travel rush for the long weekend.

With Labour Day falling on a Friday this year, creating a three-day holiday in Hong Kong that coincides with the mainland's extended "Golden Week" break, many travelers chose not to wait until the official start of the holiday to begin their journeys. 

Major border crossings, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Shenzhen Bay Port, experienced a surge in traffic as people left the city right after finishing work on Thursday.

The flow of private cars on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge heading towards Zhuhai was particularly intense. 

Real-time data showed that traffic reached an "extreme peak" around 7pm, with vehicle queues stretching over 500 meters and travelers facing wait times of more than 40 minutes before the congestion gradually eased later in the evening.

Similarly, Shenzhen Bay Port was bustling with activity. Crowds of residents were seen heading to the mainland for the holiday, while a steady stream of mainland tourists also arrived in Hong Kong. 

The area around the port's bus stations was notably lively, with long lines of people waiting for transport well into the night.

Among the travelers were many looking to avoid the peak crowds on Friday. One man mentioned he was leaving a day early for a trip to a popular indoor ski resort in Shenzhen and planned to return on Sunday. 

Another family, traveling with friends in a group of seven, also opted for an early departure for a one-night stay, noting that while they frequently travel to the mainland on weekends, they anticipated it would be slightly more crowded than usual.

 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓