Hundreds of Hongkongers have crossed the border for the July 1 holiday, with many favouring the Heung Yuen Wai crossing due to its convenient transport links and easy access to shopping centres in Shenzhen’s Liantang district.

Residents streamed into Shenzhen via the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point on the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule on Tuesday.

Among them was security guard Cheung Ming-fung, 68, who relished the cheap commute between his home in Sheung Shui and Shenzhen.

“We can take a bus to Heung Yuen Wai for just HK$2 [25 US cents] with the JoyYou card and arrive at Liantang. The round trip just costs us HK$4 each,” Cheung said, referring to the HK$2 public transport fare concession scheme for elderly and disabled residents.

Cheung said his wife preferred departing from Heung Yuen Wai when visiting relatives, citing the immediate access to facilities after clearing customs on the mainland side of the border.

Stock trader Michael Wong Ka-chun, 36, also picked the crossing due to its “direct access to people and vehicles”.