MACAO: Stepping onto a shuttle departing from Hong Kong, passengers are struck by the scale of the bridge, as it carries them toward Macao. Behind them, the land quickly fades, and for the next half hour, only open sea stretches on either side of the bus.
The 55 km-long passage is the world’s longest bridge-tunnel sea-crossing, spanning the waters of the Lingding Channel in the Pearl River Estuary, a key waterway in southern China that flows into the South China Sea.
It connects China’s two special administrative regions — Macao and Hong Kong — and the mainland city of Zhuhai.
When it opened in October 2018, the new link cut travel time by roughly 70 percent. Today, it is not only a convenient route but also a growing tourist attraction.
“It is really exciting, especially seeing the vast stretch of sea from inside the bus as it moved across the bridge. At first, I didn’t expect it to be that long, but the ride felt comfortable and smooth. Seeing the sea on both sides felt calm and stunning at the same time,” said Fitrinaz, a young public relations consultant from Indonesia, who was visiting Macao for the first time.
