1.16 million Hongkongers left over Chung Yeung break's first two days; Huanggang's first Saturday 1.7x old Lok Ma Chau flow

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Immigration Department figures show about 1.16 million Hong Kong residents left the city over Friday and Saturday as the Chung Yeung Festival break began. On Saturday, the first day of the long weekend, control points handled 1.353 million arrivals and departures in total. More than 672,000 of those leaving were Hong Kong residents, up nearly 10 per cent on the 615,000 who departed on Saturday, 23rd May, during the Buddha's Birthday holiday. Friday saw 490,000 outbound Hongkongers. With 654,000 residents returning over the same stretch, the net outflow exceeded 500,000.

Saturday alone saw 512,000 arrivals and more than 840,000 departures. Setting aside the airport, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminals, more than 530,000 people headed north by land or high-speed rail — over 80 per cent of outbound traffic. Lo Wu carried the heaviest load, with more than 146,000 crossings north. Shenzhen Bay followed with 106,000 and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line — Futian on the mainland side — with 104,000. The airport and West Kowloon Station accounted for 53,000 and 59,000 outbound trips respectively.

Huanggang Port opened on Monday, 12th October. Yesterday was its first Saturday in service and the opening day of the Chung Yeung mini golden week, drawing crowds specifically to try the new crossing into Shenzhen. Of more than 130,000 people who used it, nearly 62,000 were Hongkongers leaving. By contrast, Lok Ma Chau Control Point's final operating Saturday on 10th October recorded about 48,000 arrivals and departures combined — leaving Huanggang's debut weekend day about 1.7 times busier.