Greater Bay Area ‘more connected than ever’ as China’s integration plan marks fifth anniversary

In recent years, Chinese authorities have touted greater connectivity between sections of the Greater Bay Area – a long-term plan to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and the populous south of Guangdong province into a vibrant economic hub – and freelance photographer Stella Fang has first-hand experience.

Over the course of a weekend, the thirty-something travelled from Shantou, a city in Guangdong’s east, to Hong Kong and the provincial capital of Guangzhou. She worked, but also enjoyed time off in both.

And Fang’s not the only one. “My friends have expanded their travel radius thanks to the high-speed rail network,” she said. “They frequently travel to cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong to attend concerts, or spend the weekend.”

Fang’s trip, which included stops at the new Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station and Hong Kong Disneyland, would have taken more than twice as long to accomplish even a year ago.

“The cities of the [Greater Bay Area] are more connected than ever. That’s what impressed me most in the past five years, especially with better cross-boundary transport,” said Ivan Zhai, executive director of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Guangdong.

“Hong Kong residents have been hopping over the border to Shenzhen on the weekend to eat and shop. This shows how it is becoming much easier to travel within the region,” added Zhai, who visits places around the area once or twice a week.

Five years ago, Beijing unveiled its blueprint to build a world-leading business environment through the Greater Bay Area, which consists of nine cities in Guangdong, as well as the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau – serving a cumulative population of more than 86 million.