Greater Bay Area ‘more connected than ever’ as China’s integration plan marks fifth anniversary
- A half decade after its inception, China’s Greater Bay Area strategy for regional integration has strengthened linkages through transport
- New hubs and high-speed railway queues are making travel within area faster and more convenient
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.
