Links between Hong Kong and the Mainland
FoundationHong Kong and the mainland share mountains, rivers and bonds: the Dongjiang waters Hong Kong and fresh food arrives daily from the mainland; land crossings, the express rail link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge make travel easy; and Greater Bay Area development draws the two ever closer in economy, culture and daily life.
- Hong Kong borders Shenzhen, with busy crossings at Lo Wu, Futian, Shenzhen Bay and Liantang.
- The HZM Bridge and express rail speed travel between the two — West Kowloon to Guangzhou South in forty-eight minutes.
- About 70 to 80 percent of our water is Dongjiang water; fresh food arrives daily from the mainland after inspection.
文體小知識：時事說明文以事實和數據說明兩地關係，令讀者明白香港與內地互相依存的緊密聯繫。
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1Hong Kong sits on the east bank of the Pearl River Estuary, bordering Shenzhen to the north, with travel between them very convenient. Land crossings include Lo Wu, Futian, Shenzhen Bay and Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai, handling hundreds of thousands of passengers daily. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge opened in 2018; at about 55 kilometres it is the world's longest bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing, cutting the drive to the west bank of the estuary to about forty minutes. That same year the Hong Kong section of the express rail link opened: from West Kowloon it takes about nineteen minutes to Shenzhen North and forty-eight to Guangzhou South, joining the national high-speed network.
2Daily life in Hong Kong depends on mainland supplies. Water: since 1965 the Dongjiang-Shenzhen scheme has carried Dongjiang water to Hong Kong — in the great drought of 1963 water came only once every four days, but the Dongjiang supply ended the shortage, and today about 70 to 80 percent of our water comes from it. Food: the mainland is Hong Kong's main source of fresh produce; vegetables, pork, beef and freshwater fish are grown at approved farms, transported and inspected, reaching wholesale markets by dawn and market stalls by day.
3The flow of people draws the two closer. Tens of thousands of cross-border students and workers travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong daily; tourists visiting both ways boost spending and cultural exchange; many local schools are sister schools with mainland schools, making friends and learning from each other through visits and video links. The two share one cultural root — language, festivals and customs passed down in an unbroken line, with Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn and Dragon Boat festivals celebrated warmly on both sides.
4The Greater Bay Area takes the connection to a new level. It covers Hong Kong and Macao plus nine mainland cities — Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing — with over seventy million people and a vast economy. Its transport network keeps improving into a 'one-hour living circle'. Hong Kong, with its strengths as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, complements the mainland cities: our financing and professional services join Shenzhen's innovation, and the advanced manufacturing of Dongguan and Foshan, to build a vibrant world-class city cluster.
1Summary 重點摘要
Hong Kong and the mainland share mountains, rivers and bonds: the Dongjiang waters Hong Kong and fresh food arrives daily from the mainland; land crossings, the express rail link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge make travel easy; and Greater Bay Area development draws the two ever closer in economy, culture and daily life.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A checkpoint for crossing between two places, such as Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay.
Opened in 2018, a 55-kilometre bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao.
The rail link joining West Kowloon to the national high-speed network — about 48 minutes to Guangzhou South.
Water carried to Hong Kong by the Dongjiang-Shenzhen scheme — about 70 to 80 percent of our supply.
The city cluster of Hong Kong, Macao and nine mainland cities including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with over 70 million people.
Checks on imported food, animals and plants at the border to ensure safety and hygiene.
Partner schools in different places that learn from each other through visits and exchange activities.
The Bay Area network letting cities reach one another within an hour, like travelling within one city.
Parties combining their strengths, such as Hong Kong's finance with the mainland's advanced manufacturing.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the crossingsExample: take the East Rail Line from Sheung Shui across Lo Wu bridge and within a few minutes you are in Shenzhen — one of the earliest rail crossings between the two places. Today crossings such as Lo Wu, Futian, Shenzhen Bay, Liantang and the HZM Bridge handle hundreds of thousands of journeys every day. Crossings are the gates between Hong Kong and the mainland; knowing where they are and how to reach them helps us choose the best route when planning a trip.
- Step 2: Feel the speed of high-speed railExample: board the high-speed train at West Kowloon in the morning — about nineteen minutes to Shenzhen North and forty-eight minutes to Guangzhou South; once joined to the national network, big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai can be reached within a day. High-speed rail makes cross-border journeys feel like commuting across town, far easier for business, family visits and tourism. Passengers finish both exit and entry formalities at West Kowloon in one place and can start their trip straight after getting off.
- Step 3: Understand the HZM BridgeExample: the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge is about fifty-five kilometres long, the world's longest bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing, with a mid-section undersea tunnel letting large ships pass. Since it opened, the drive from Hong Kong to Zhuhai or Macao has shrunk from hours of detouring to about forty minutes. The bridge joins the two sides of the Pearl River Delta directly, promoting the flow of people, goods and economic cooperation — a super infrastructure project.
- Step 4: Remember the water we drinkExample: in the great drought of 1963 Hong Kong received water only once every four days and people queued with buckets; in 1965 the Dongjiang (East River) supply scheme was completed and Dongjiang water began flowing to Hong Kong — today it makes up about seventy to eighty percent of our fresh water. The water starts from hillside reservoirs and travels south day and night through pumping stations and sealed pipelines. Remembering the source, we should treasure every drop and thank the mainland for its long-term support.
- Step 5: Track the journey of our foodExample: fresh vegetables in the supermarket are harvested at mainland supply farms before dawn, pass border quarantine, reach wholesale markets by early morning and appear in street markets by daytime. Mainland supplies also include pork, eggs and most of our rice. Steady supplies from the mainland let Hong Kong enjoy fresh food every day. Understanding where our food comes from makes us treasure it more and thank every pair of working hands.
- Step 6: Join cross-border exchangeExample: a school becomes sister school with one in the mainland, first introducing campus life to each other through video calls, then visiting in person with an exchange group — attending lessons, playing games and sharing, building sincere friendship. Exchange lets pupils on both sides learn about each other's schools and cultures, clearing up misunderstanding and deepening understanding. Taking the chance to make new friends is a good way to widen our horizons.
- Step 7: See the Bay Area's promiseExample: the Greater Bay Area covers Hong Kong, Macao and nine mainland cities including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and its transport network has formed a one-hour living circle. You can hold a meeting in Hong Kong in the morning, inspect a factory in Dongguan in the afternoon and have dinner in Shenzhen at night, travelling as if within one district. With its huge population and complete industries, the Bay Area offers Hong Kong youth broad chances to study, work and start businesses — worth learning about early.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Long's school is visiting a primary school in Guangzhou and returning the same day. Compare three options — MTR with mainland rail changes, through coach, and the express rail link — by time and features, then recommend the best one.
- MTR East Rail plus mainland rail: transfers and border checks take over four hours in total, though the fare is lower.
- Through coach: via Shenzhen Bay or the HZM Bridge, about three to four hours including border queues, depending on crowds.
- Express rail link: West Kowloon to Guangzhou South in about forty-eight minutes, with exit and entry formalities done in one place at West Kowloon — fastest and most reliable.
- For a same-day exchange, time matters most, so the high-speed rail lets the group leave early and return late with room to spare.
- Consider group size and budget too: group fares discount high-speed tickets, which teachers can book in one go.
- Answer: Take the express rail link: one-stop clearance at West Kowloon and forty-eight minutes to Guangzhou South make it the fastest, surest choice for a same-day exchange.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What share of Hong Kong's water comes from the Dongjiang?
Q2How long does the express rail take from West Kowloon to Guangzhou South?
Q3What is special about the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge?
Q4Which places make up the Greater Bay Area?
Q5What does the mainland supply to Hong Kong daily?
8Recap Recap
- Hong Kong borders Shenzhen, with busy crossings at Lo Wu, Futian, Shenzhen Bay and Liantang.
- The HZM Bridge and express rail speed travel between the two — West Kowloon to Guangzhou South in forty-eight minutes.
- About 70 to 80 percent of our water is Dongjiang water; fresh food arrives daily from the mainland after inspection.
- The two places share one culture, with sister schools and tourist flows deepening exchange.
- The Bay Area's nine cities plus Hong Kong and Macao form a one-hour living circle of complementary strengths.