My Personal Experience: A September Trip from Chengdu to Hong Kong

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Published·Sep 21, 2023Modified·Sep 21, 2023

At the beginning of the year, I planned to visit Hong Kong, and finally in September, I had the opportunity to see its bustling prosperity. The soft and tranquil September allows you to avoid the summer vacation peak, with relatively fewer crowds. This trip to Hong Kong was mainly for business, and it was also my first time visiting Hong Kong. This article shares my personal experience (if you feel the content is too long, you can scroll to the bottom for the summary).

Preparation

To avoid delaying your itinerary, preparation is recommended to be done 1 month in advance. I only prepared half a month in advance, which made the schedule quite tight.

Mainland Travel Permit and Endorsement

The processing cycle for the Mainland Travel Permit is generally 1-2 weeks. It is recommended to handle it in advance. My experience can be found here: My Real Experience of Handling a Mainland Travel Permit in Chengdu.

Hong Kong Dollar Cash

Although most shops in Hong Kong support Alipay, some do not. It is recommended to prepare some Hong Kong dollar cash in advance for safety. You can reserve cash withdrawal in advance through major banks, and it is recommended to reserve one week in advance. The general steps are as follows:

Perform foreign exchange purchase on major bank APPs to buy Hong Kong dollar cash.
Select the branch to reserve the "Foreign Currency Withdrawal" service.
Wait for approval, then go to the designated branch on the specified date to handle the withdrawal.

Due to insufficient preparation, I only started considering exchanging Hong Kong dollar cash 4 days before arriving in Hong Kong. I reserved two branches of China Construction Bank and ICBC, which were told to wait about a week, which was already too late.

I then queried a relatively larger branch via the China Merchants Bank APP, called the branch directly to ask if they had "Hong Kong dollar cash". The staff asked how much I needed. After the branch confirmed they had enough cash, they registered me and asked me to complete the Hong Kong dollar purchase operation on the CMB APP in advance. I successfully withdrew Hong Kong dollar cash at the CMB branch that day, which was a close call.

Note: Cash cannot exceed 20,000 HKD when crossing the border.

Communication Services

To ensure your mobile phone can normally access the internet, send/receive SMS, and make/receive calls after arriving in Hong Kong, you need to:

Contact your mobile carrier (contact customer service) in advance: Inform the customer service that you are going to Hong Kong soon and need to send/receive SMS, make/receive calls, and access the internet in Hong Kong, and ask them to activate "International Roaming Service" and "International Long Distance" services for you.

Next, you need to solve the internet access issue in Hong Kong by choosing a data package.

China Telecom

If you are a China Telecom user, after activating roaming, you basically don't need to do any extra operations. You can access the internet directly upon arrival in Hong Kong. Their tariff is 25 yuan/day. After exceeding 2GB, the speed is throttled to 384kbps. Prices may change over time; please see the official Telecom website: https://manyou.189.cn/newgm/country.do?idCode=xg243

Note: I personally tested that China Telecom roaming uses a Fujian Telecom IP, and you still cannot access Google and other blocked services in Hong Kong.

China Mobile

Mobile users can install the "Joygo" (Wu You Xing) APP in advance to purchase international data packages. However, note that China Mobile's international data packages are divided into "Roaming Data Packages" and "Local Data Packages". The difference is:

Roaming Data Package: Roaming internet uses a Guangdong Mobile IP. The price is relatively cheaper, but you still cannot access Google and other blocked services in Hong Kong.
Local Data Package: The price is more expensive, and the data volume is smaller, but it uses the local Hong Kong network directly, allowing access to Google and other blocked services.

Personally, I recommend choosing the "Local Data Package" as it is more convenient and offers faster internet speeds. However, since local data packages are more expensive, it is recommended to use free WiFi (available in many places in Hong Kong) first when you can connect to WiFi, and then use the "Local Data Package".

The following image shows the price of China Mobile 4G local data packages in Hong Kong for reference only.

Joygo Registration Address: https://atv.jegotrip.com.cn

China Unicom

I do not have a China Unicom card, so I did not research this further.

Others

You can also purchase Hong Kong SIM cards in advance on platforms like Taobao or Fliggy. This allows you to make calls and access the internet, but this solution requires changing your SIM card, which is relatively more troublesome.

Other Notes: Data packages are automatically activated upon arrival in Hong Kong, no manual activation needed. Also, remember to enable the "Roaming Data" function in your phone settings (both Android and iOS need to turn this on in settings), otherwise you will find that your phone has signal but cannot access the internet.

Transportation

I first traveled from Chengdu to Shenzhen, and then took a high-speed train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong. I stayed in Hong Kong for only one day for business, and I stayed in Shenzhen for accommodation, which is a relatively cost-effective plan.

Chengdu - Shenzhen: Fly from Tianfu International Airport to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport.
Shenzhen North - Hong Kong West Kowloon: Take the high-speed train, second class seat 75 yuan/person.
Hong Kong West Kowloon - Shenzhen North: Take the high-speed train, second class seat 75 yuan/person.
Shenzhen - Chengdu: Fly from Shenzhen Bao'an Airport back to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport.

Other Notes: It takes only about 20 minutes to take the high-speed train from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong West Kowloon. You can also take the high-speed train from Futian to Hong Kong West Kowloon, or choose to take the subway to Hong Kong, although the subway takes longer.

Taking Subway/Bus

In Shenzhen and Hong Kong, you can use the ride code in Alipay, then switch to the ride code for the current city and corresponding type. There is no need to download extra APPs; just scan the QR code in Alipay to pass through. This is very convenient. It is recommended to activate the ride codes for Shenzhen and Hong Kong in advance before going.

Taxis

Taxis in Hong Kong are very expensive. It is recommended to download Uber in advance. Uber has transparent pricing, and the price is more affordable than taking a taxi directly.

Navigation

Google Maps is widely used for navigation in Hong Kong. I downloaded Google Maps in advance, and I also have Amap and Baidu Maps on my phone. However, map positioning in Hong Kong is not as accurate as in mainland China. In mainland China, positioning can be precise to within a few meters, but in Hong Kong, no matter which map you use, there is always drift, accurate only to within tens of meters. This caused me to take many detours.

Customs Clearance

Health Declaration

A few hours before going to Hong Kong, search for the mini-program "Customs Passenger Fingertip Service" on Alipay or WeChat, fill out the "Entry/Exit Health Declaration", and save the screenshot. The declaration code will be required to be scanned during entry and exit. When returning, you can click "One-Click Declaration" without filling it out again.

Self-Service Clearance

Taking the high-speed train from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong West Kowloon, the clearance process can be completed entirely via self-service, taking about 10-20 minutes (depending on crowd flow). Swipe your ID card and Mainland Travel Permit to pass through the gates. You will go through several gates, undergoing facial recognition and fingerprint verification.

After clearance, a small slip will be printed. Keep this slip safe; it is your legal proof of stay in Hong Kong. You will need to show this slip when handling business at places like banks.

My Experience in Hong Kong

Food, accommodation, and transportation in Hong Kong are more expensive than in mainland China. A typical fast food meal (rice bowls, noodles, etc.) usually costs around 50-100 HKD, but the portions are generous. For example, if you order beef noodles, there are actually several chunks of beef in it.

Since my itinerary in Hong Kong was only one day, time was tight, and I didn't visit many areas. I passed through Central Pier and Tsim Sha Tsui. Those areas are bustling, filled with skyscrapers, and the city is very clean and tidy. The air is much better than in Chengdu.

I also passed by old residential buildings that have weathered the storms. They are not as prosperous as Central, but they are more simple and plain.

Snapshots

Night view taken at Tsim Sha Tsui Pier. The night view is beautiful.

Taken while enjoying the breeze at Central Pier.

A few photos taken casually when exiting West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station.

Summary

Handle the Mainland Travel Permit and endorsement one month in advance.
Reserve "Hong Kong Dollar Cash" withdrawal on major bank APPs one week in advance.
Book flights, high-speed train tickets, and accommodation in advance.
Activate "International Long Distance/Roaming Service" in advance.
Activate "Shenzhen" and "Hong Kong" ride codes in advance.
Taxis in Hong Kong are expensive; it is recommended to use Uber or public transportation.
Keep your "Mainland Travel Permit, ID Card, and Clearance Slip" safe.

This is my Hong Kong trip in September 2023. Policies may change over time; please refer to the actual situation.

The autumn wind is rising, and golden sunlight covers the earth. September, may every day of yours be as fresh as morning dew. Let the busy days stop, let your soul embrace nature. Bless you, with a season of abundant harvest and years of lasting happiness. May your goals be like autumn fruits, full and sweet. May your mood be like golden leaves, falling freely and lightly. May all good things be like the September sky, bright and warm. Bless September, bless you, may happiness walk with you forever.