State-of-the-art checkpoint speeds travel starting Sept 8

Qingmao Checkpoint (New Guangdong-Macao Channel) will begin pedestrian crossings 24/7 at 3 pm on Wednesday, Sept 8 with the latest hi-tech border equipment in China.

The fifth Zhuhai-Macao land checkpoint is located at the Canal de Patos on the border of Zhuhai's Maoshengwei and Macao's Ilha Verde, 800 m (half a mile) southwest of the bustling Macao Frontier Post exit to Gongbei.

The high-tech facility is equipped with quarantine chairs and units for epidemic prevention and control. Travelers from high-risk areas for COVID-19 will be identified relying on big data. The customs supervision and command center has broadcast and electronic sandtable (providing full visualization of the area) systems and adopts augmented reality technology for real-time analysis and to warn of traveler peaks.

Meanwhile, the Macao side is equipped with CT machines, terahertz body imagers, and millimeter-wave human body security check systems for non-invasive personnel and luggage inspection.

Self-service channels[Photo by Li Jianshu / Guanhai App]

The checkpoint has 168,000 sqm (42 acres) of floorage to handle 200,000 pass-throughs daily. The second floor of the Joint Inspection Building is for Macao-bound traffic, and the third floor is for Zhuhai-bound persons.

Chinese mainland residents who hold electronic travel permits and authorization to Hong Kong and Macao for using their biological information can use any of 100 self-service inspection channels, as will Hong Kong and Macao residents with ID cards and home-return permits and register for Chinese mainland and Macao self-service customs clearance.

Children, the physically challenged, and those encountering chip damage, failed fingerprint and facial recognition, or oversized luggage can resort to four staffed channels.

A "Joint Inspection & One-Time Release" mode will have travelers queue and have documents examined only once with average customs clearance time of 30 seconds. Once operational, the checkpoint will greatly facilitate travel for Zhuhai-Macao residents and cross-border workers and alleviate pressure on Gongbei Checkpoint during peak times.

In terms of transport transfer, a 480-m (525-yd) weatherproof corridor connects Intercity MRT Zhuhai Station with the second floor of the Joint Inspection Building. Bus stops and a taxi drop-off site is 200 m (219 yd) from the main entrance near the stilt floor of Intercity MRT Zhuhai Station. Motorists can park at Intercity MRT Zhuhai Station and Charming City.

The Macao side also has six bus stops covering 12 daytime and four nighttime routes, and there are five public parking lots in the vicinity capable of accommodating 4,782 vehicles.