JIANGMEN city, located on the western side of the Pearl River and a famous hometown of overseas Chinese, is facing historic opportunities with the opening of the Huangmaohai Sea-crossing Passage. A key infrastructure project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the passage officially opened at 3 p.m. yesterday.

The opening of the link is expected to promote further integration of cities on both sides of the Pearl River and boost the development of cities in western Guangdong Province.

The 31-kilometer passage, which starts in Pingsha Township, Zhuhai, and ends in Doushan Township, Jiangmen, is the western extension of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. It cuts the travel time from Zhuhai to Jiangmen to 30 minutes.

A six-lane highway with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour, the 12.9 billion yuan (US$1.77 billion) passage has a projected lifespan of 100 years.

During the initial phase of operations, there will be no toll fees for public access, according to the Guangdong Provincial Transport Department. Detailed fees will be disclosed later.

Jiangmen serves as a pivotal transportation hub linking cities in western Guangdong Province and the GBA.

The city is renowned for Diaolou — multi-story structures that blend Chinese and Western architectural styles, designed for both defensive and residential purposes.

Jiangmen is also known for its hot spring resorts in Enping, which attract many visitors.

(Han Ximin)