Lok Ma Chau
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Lok Ma Chau or Lokmachau (traditional Chinese: 落馬洲) is a village in Hong Kong's New Territories and also a major pedestrian (which is linked directly to the Hong Kong rapid transit network) and road border crossing point between Hong Kong and mainland China. It lies just south of the Sham Chun River (or Shenzhen River in Mandarin) which forms the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. Lok Ma Chau lies opposite Huanggang in Shenzhen, China.
Lok Ma Chau lies within Hong Kong's Frontier Closed Area, a buffer zone established by the Hong Kong government to prevent illegal immigrants from China, and access to the area is restricted to those holding Closed Area Permits. Those who are crossing the border to/from China do not need permits but must leave the area immediately after completing immigration procedures.
To the southwest of Lok Ma Chau is the Mai Po Wetlands.
[edit] Border crossings
[edit] Vehicular checkpoint
This border crossing is one of three main vehicular crossings between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and is accessible to private cars, trucks, and public buses only. No pedestrians or bicycles are permitted to cross at this point. This crossing is mainly used by freight trucks, and it is not uncommon for the crossing to become congested.[citation needed]
This has been operational 24 hours day since January 2003.
Several coach companies operate scheduled services between Shenzhen and Hong Kong that pass through the Lok Ma Chau crossing, departing from places such as Tsuen Wan and Wan Chai. A frequent service is also available locally between the Lok Ma Chau Bus Terminus, on Castle Peak Road, and Shenzhen.
[edit] Pedestrian checkpoint
The pedestrian crossing between Lok Ma Chau Station and Huanggang in Shenzhen, officially referred to as the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint, opened on 15 August 2007 together with the opening of KCRC's Lok Ma Chau Spur Line between Lok Ma Chau and Sheung Shui Station. The crossing consists of a double-deck pedestrian bridge across the Sham Chun River which forms the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. The lower deck handles pedestrians heading from Hong Kong to the mainland while the upper deck handles those coming from the mainland to Hong Kong. Immigration facilities are located within the station building just before/after the bridge.
Unlike the vehicular checkpoint, the pedestrian checkpoint is open between 06:30 and 22:30.
Although the Lok Ma Chau pedestrian checkpoint is often referred to as a railway crossing, it is in fact purely a pedestrian crossing as the railway line does not actually cross the border into Mainland China here, unlike in Lo Wu where the railway line continues into the mainland and there are through-train services. And although the bulk of the users are train passengers, the Lok Ma Chau pedestrian crossing can also be reached by bus from various parts of the New Territories.
The Lok Ma Chau transport interchange is located to the east of Lok Ma Chau station and is connected with the station via pedestrian bridges. The entrance and exit between the station and the interchange are guarded by the police as the area is located within the Frontier Closed Area. KMB bus routes 277, N277, N76, 76K, and 276B all service this interchange point.[citation needed]
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