MACAO: Stepping onto a shuttle departing from Hong Kong, passengers are struck by the scale of the bridge, as it carries them toward Macao. Behind them, the land quickly fades, and for the next half hour, only open sea stretches on either side of the bus.

The 55 km-long passage is the world’s longest bridge-tunnel sea-crossing, spanning the waters of the Lingding Channel in the Pearl River Estuary, a key waterway in southern China that flows into the South China Sea.

It connects China’s two special administrative regions — Macao and Hong Kong — and the mainland city of Zhuhai.

When it opened in October 2018, the new link cut travel time by roughly 70 percent. Today, it is not only a convenient route but also a growing tourist attraction.

“It is really exciting, especially seeing the vast stretch of sea from inside the bus as it moved across the bridge. At first, I didn’t expect it to be that long, but the ride felt comfortable and smooth. Seeing the sea on both sides felt calm and stunning at the same time,” said Fitrinaz, a young public relations consultant from Indonesia, who was visiting Macao for the first time.

“What moved me the most was the scenery. The sea was incredibly wide and looked peaceful from above. I loved seeing the ships and boats passing beneath the bridge, which made the view feel more alive.”

Before the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, her journey would take up to four hours by land.

“I only found out later that this is actually the longest sea bridge in the world, and it felt incredible to cross it in person,” Fitrinaz told Arab News.

“This trip made me even more amazed at how Macao and Hong Kong are connected through such massive infrastructure. For me, it became one of the most memorable experiences during my visit to Macao.”

Built by a consortium of Chinese state-owned construction companies, the $20 billion bridge took nine years to complete and was designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons. According to HZMB Authority data, over 420,000 tons of steel went into the project, which is enough to make nearly 60 Eiffel Towers.

Around 30 km of the bridge stretches across the waters of the Pearl River Delta. A 6.7 km section in the middle dips into an undersea tunnel, running between two artificial islands, to allow ships to pass.

The rest of the structure consists of link roads, viaducts, and land tunnels that connect Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao to the main bridge.

Xinhua, China’s official state news agency, reported in late October that the HZMB had handled more than 93.34 million passenger trips in total, including 25 million so far in 2025. More and more of them are international tourists.

Budy Santoso, a celebrity photographer from Jakarta, was visiting the region for the first time. Unsure of what to expect in Macao, he initially worried about navigating the entry and the language barrier.

“Thankfully, it turned out not to be as difficult as I imagined … Macao seems to be developing itself into a tourist destination. From the bridge, you can already see colorful lights as evening approaches,” he said.

“I was greeted by a beautiful city as I crossed that long bridge. I entered a modern city with all its expensive facilities.”