Thousands of Hongkongers braced for heavy rain as they crossed the border into Shenzhen on the second day of the Easter holiday, taking advantage of the break to enjoy a wider range of shopping, dining and entertainment options at bargain prices.
Many travellers on Saturday cited mainland China’s broader selection of shopping centres, restaurants and attractions as well as more affordable prices as key draws.
Immigration statistics on Saturday showed that 153,272 residents had departed Hong Kong as of 10am, including 103,576 who left via land border checkpoints with the mainland and another 20,444 through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
On Friday, 709,837 residents left Hong Kong, while the city welcomed 76,709 mainland visitors and 44,208 from other places.
Hongkonger Grace Chu and four other friends visited the Coco Park shopping centre in Shenzhen’s Futian district to watch the newly released movie Game of Identity and for a taste of good food.
The 32-year-old bank employee said they crossed the border to watch the movie that was not screened in Hong Kong, while Shenzhen also offered dining options such as hotpot at lower prices, adding that they preferred trying eateries only found on the mainland.
