China Opens Giant Sea Bridge Linking Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland

The New York Times ^ | October 23, 2018 | Austin Ramzy

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

HONG KONG — China officially opened the world’s longest sea bridge on Tuesday after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and local officials inaugurated the 34-mile structure, which crosses the Pearl River Delta to link Hong Kong with Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai.

The project, which includes sections of bridge and artificial islands linked by a four-mile tunnel west of Hong Kong’s airport, went billions of dollars over budget and was delayed by two years. Chinese officials expect the bridge to significantly cut driving time between the two sides of the Pearl River, helping to achieve their vision of a Greater Bay Area, as China calls the effort to knit the region’s cities more closely.

Plans for the opening ceremony were announced just days beforehand, apparently timed to coincide with Mr. Xi’s first trip to the southern province of Guangdong in nearly six years. Mr. Xi’s contribution to the opening event, on an artificial island holding Zhuhai’s port facilities, was modest.

“I declare the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is formally open,” he said, after comments by Vice Premier Han Zheng and local officials, including the leaders of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong Province. Then digital fireworks exploded on a screen behind him.

Why was the bridge built?

The Pearl River Delta — which includes the financial center of semiautonomous Hong Kong, the tech hub of Shenzhen and manufacturing areas in several other mainland cities, including Dongguan — is a powerful economic engine for China. That status was bolstered by transportation projects like a highway linking the eastern cities in the 1990s.

[vannrox]

No. I live in Zhuhai. This city...

[entropy12]

Very nice and modern looking city! What are those 2 structures (look like shells) used for?

[dfwgator]

[dfwgator]

Mao is turning over in his grave.

[bert]

The Pearl River Delta region has a population of 68 million people and is the 13 th largest economy in the world.

[dfwgator]

Thought I do wonder what happens if their economy crashes.

[vannrox]

Oh, the shell-like structures is the "Opera house". It is lit up at night with projections of flowers and cool graphics at night.



The most famous structure in Zhuhai is the statue of the "Fisher girl". Everyone visits it from HK, Macao and from all over China. It's a real big attraction. For me, it's just "meh". But the story about this statue is one of a girl that waits and waits for her husband who is late coming home from fishing. She waits and waits for him.



Of course, all the chop on the Internet is about the bridge. It certainly cuts down in commute time from the HK airport to the mainland. Still, you need to go through customs, and that does take some time. Though, the Chinese side is much quicker now that everyone must use biometrics if you are a non-chinese foreigner.



Zhuhai is very beautiful. Here's another picture of the fisher girl. The Western media likes to harp on and on about the "pollution" in China. Then they take pictures of Beijing when a big dust storm hits the city. That's like taking pictures of Boston after a NorthEaster hits, and saying that global warming is affecting Boston, or taking pictures of New Orleans, LA after a Hurricane and saying that everyone in New Orleans needs a boat to get around in.

[vannrox]

You bet that Mao is turning over. When Mr. Deng took over China in the 1980's they did away with MOST (but not all) of the Communist precepts that Mao put in place. Mr. Deng was a "Free Market" conservative, and tried to copy Mr. Roland Reagan in that regard.

So, he kept the one-political party concept. Took it over and move it "American-style" conservative. Any time progressive liberals try to take over, the dominant political party the "free-market" Communist party, arrests the Progressive and puts them in their place.

When the SJW tried to take over China.
Liberty and Freedom in China
Comparisions between American and Chinese playgrounds
The top ten misconceptions that Americans have about China.

[entropy12]

Of course..without sensational news no one will buy news media. I have seen the same thing from the country where I grew up, India. Mostly the pictures were of the poorest people living in terrible conditions. I never saw anything about the middle class life, which class is now bigger than the population of United States. I spent 37 years in Chicago, and believe me there are really bad ghetto areas there, as are in Detroit as well. Oh well, media will be media. No wonder semi-informed people get distorted views of the world.

[ifinnegan]

You’re such a liar.