Shuttle buses between Hengqin and Macao's Peninsula and Taipa started runs on Saturday to present residents of the two areas with a series of cultural and leisure activities free of charge and without requiring reservations.

Today, tomorrow and during the next two holiday weekends, buses depart the Exhibition Hall of Macao Neighborhood Associations (opposite Ilha Verde) at 9 and 10 am, and 1 and 2 pm. The "Hengqin-Macao People's Livelihood Line" then goes to the Macao Trade Union Federation Building, Taipa Central Park (in front of 29 and 31 of Haojing Garden), Hengqin Checkpoint, Hengqin Town, Hengqin New Home, Macao-Hengqin Youth Entrepreneurship Valley, Qinhai Bay Garden, Mangzhou Wetland Park, Rest Station 1 of Hengqin Flower Corridor, and Legend Ponto Square. Buses leaving for Macao from Hengqin Checkpoint are scheduled at 1:20, 2:20, 5:20, and 6:20 pm.

Hengqin Flower Corridor [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Media Group]

They will continue making eight trips a day on the same route through Tuesday, Dec 21; Friday-Monday, Dec 24 to 27 for the winter solstice holidays; and Saturday-Monday, Jan 1 to 3 for the New Year's Day holiday. A one-way trip takes 20 minutes and adjustments will be made to provide safe, convenient, and efficient transportation between Macao and Hengqin. 

Macao residents can visit Hengqin Flower Corridor, a 6-km (3.7-mile) stretch of floss silk trees in full florescence. The on-going Hengqin and Macao Blossom Carnival, which is part of celebrations for the 22nd anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, will run through Jan 7.

The buses are operated by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone and Zhuhai Lcola Technology, a Hengqin-based solutions provider of "intelligent" automobile software.