Illustration of an open suitcase on a glowing inspection belt at a futuristic border hall, with packed groceries and bottles casting long shadows

Border & CustomsFresh off the border

The border is not a buffet: what you can't carry between Hong Kong and Shenzhen

Roast goose, vapes and duty-free limits: the rules worth knowing before you shop.

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Payments Border & Customs Transport Day Trips Shopping & Deals Phones & SIMs

Boarding now

8 guides, one line each. Tap what you need.

港車北上 without the headache: the ballot, the inspection and the ETC box nobody explains

The 港車北上 paperwork, in the order that actually works.

Border & Customs

Shenzhen's welcome committee: the seven street scams waiting for Hongkongers at the border

Seven border scams, plus the two numbers that shut them down.

Shopping & Deals

Coupons, 國補 and tax refunds — how Hong Kong shoppers stack mainland savings

Meituan, 國補 and departure refunds can stack—if you keep the seal intact.

Paying in mainland China from Hong Kong — no local bank account required

AlipayHK first, WeChat Pay HK for mini programs, mainland Alipay for the gaps.

Get a mainland phone number, a Bank of China account, and FPS Payment Connect

When a real +86 number and mainland bank card are worth the paperwork.

Ride-hailing and high-speed rail the SaidOrSi way

Fixed-price rides, 12306 name quirks and when sleeper trains beat flying.

Your first Shenzhen day trip: Futian, AlipayHK, and which border to avoid

One district, one wallet and one metro line: a first Shenzhen trip without the overwhelm.

Taking an eSIM-only Hong Kong iPhone into mainland China

Your Hong Kong eSIM-only iPhone works in the mainland—just not with a mainland eSIM.