I cannot tell you how much disappointment I have in the Hong Kong government headed by Chief Executive Donald Tsang. The latest saga is the appointment of deputy secretaries and political assistants under the so called “accountability” system. When the city is not pushing ahead with its democracy, our Chief Executive is pushing for this appointment accountability system. But when its people have no vote and no say in the government affairs, who are these officials accountable to? Of course not to us. And certainly to Mr Tsang, their boss, who appoints them.

Do you see the irony here? When the people here are demanding democracy, the government is going the opposite way, under the fancy word of “accountability’.

The appointments of deputy secretaries and political assistants have been under barrage of attacks by the wide local community for its lack of transparency and the showing of nepotism. What are these appointees’ responsibilities? How were they selected? Based on what criteria are they remunerated? The government has never been able to give us satisfactory answers. Not to mention that it did not come up with fuzzy answers until pressurized.

When the controversy has evolved to the detriment of his reputation, Mr Tsang came to the Legislative Council, urging the community to let the dust settle, so that the community can focus on the livelihood issues.

Give me a break! Does he know that we people want quality of life as well? We want clean air, clear sky and open space. We are not individuals just wanting to make a living and surviving on this planet. This government knows only to follow the talk of its boss in the mainland and is glaringly out of touch with the pulse of the city that it governs. That is why people here go to the democracy march year after year on 1 July, the Hong Kong back to China day.

Beijing’s Qianmen Dajie (Front Door Main Street) was the city’s busiest and most famous business street during the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The street, in decline since the mid 20th century, has recently been restored to its look in its prime, lined with wooden buildings and decorated in “old Beijing” style. Famous traditional Beijing eateries are grouped into a corner of the street.

To be reminiscent of the “old Beijing”, the place has a tram running, which was a familiar Beijing sight from 1924 to 1966. The tram’s whole journey is about 10 minutes, crossing the whole breadth of the street of more than 800m.

The restored Qianmen Dajie has been open to the public since May 2008, after a 2-year facelift work. 

(the express train highway)

Starting 1 August 2008, the intercity express train service between Beijing and Tianjin will be launched, halving the train journey between the two cities from the current 1 hour to 30 minutes. It is said the train departs from either city every five minutes, and can be as fast as 350km per hour.

If you are planning a visit to Beijing and Tianjin, this may be a piece of good news for you.

Do note that the train will start from Beijing South Train Station, due to be opened soon, to welcome in the Beijing Olympic Games.

The certificate (just a small piece of paper really) shows where you stay and your passport number, and you are supposed to carry this certificate with you all the time. Failing to do so, according to the Regulations, can subject you to a verbal warning or a fine of more than 50RMB but less than 500RMB.

The purpose of the Certificate is for the Chinese government to keep track of where foreigners stay. If they stay in a hotel, there is no need for them to get such a Certificate, as they must register with the hotel when check-in. That registration itself is a certificate already.

This is a true story that has happened to a friend of mine who once stayed in a university accommodation in Hangzhou. He was holding a 3-month tourist visa then and wanted to extend the visa with the PSB. To his surprise, he was told that to renew the visa he must produce the Temporary Residence Certificate, which he was supposed to apply for soon after his arrival at China. He didn’t know the rule and didn’t have one. So he was fined RMB100.

The lesson? If you do not stay in a hotel and you expect that you will need to extend your visa (both L visa and F visa), make sure that you go to the local PSB office to apply for a Temporary Residence Certificate within 24 hours upon arrival in China.

In a city like Hangzhou, there are a number of administrative zones, and in each of these zones, there is a designated PSB office. Take note that you must to the PSB office of the zone where you stay for the registration. If you go to the wrong one, your case will not be handled.

Cafe de Coral
http://www.cafedecoralfastfood.com/eng/main/index.jsp

Fairwood
http://www.fairwood.com.hk/jspwww/NEWWEB/eng/whatsnew.html

Maxim’s
http://www.maxims.com.hk/html/fastfood/index.htm （in Chinese only）

There are a few reasons why I recommend to you these fast food restaurants.

To try the local food in local restaurants is not always easy, since the menu is not always in both Chinese and English. But in these fast food restaurants, their menu is shown on the wall in big Chinese characters, and small English letters. So foreigners should have no problem ordering the food. Warn you though, the staff at the cashier is not always good in English and maybe you need to point at the menu to order the food. I saw this happen a few times already.

Second, the food is inexpensive and tastes quite okay. Well, it is fast food and so you shouldn’t expect too much anyway. Sometimes some dishes taste really good. Say the curry rice from the Cafe de Coral. These restaurants are always packed for lunch and dinner.

Third, their branches are in every corner of Hong Kong and you can easily find them.

Fourth, these restaurants not only offer Chinese food, but also “Chinese style” Western food, such as spaghetti, or “Chinese style” Japanese food, such as Ramin. The choice is not limited anyway. And the Chinese food choice also comes in Hong Kong style and mainland Chinese style, such as Shanghai food.

Fifth, visiting these restaurants will let you experience the epitome of Hong Kong efficiency. Try standing at the food counter and you will see how quickly the staff put the order together for customers and keep the always long queue moving. There are usually three to four staff working behind the counter and they work so fast, and so seamlessly. I bet you will not forget the scene.

Some more tips：Hong Kong style milk tea is unique. These restaurants offer tasty milk tea. So try them. Also, if you are on budget, try coming in from 2pm to 6pm. These are afternoon tea hours and the tea set is offered at a very low price. Say, a hot dog with a cup of milk tea costs about HK15.

Reportedly, Zhao C’s father gave him the name, who when interviewed, said that “C” symbolized his hope for his son. “C is the first letter of the English world ‘China’, and its pronunciation is the same as the word “west” in Chinese. I hope my son will go to study in the West while not forgetting his Chinese root,” he said.

The hope represented by “C” is also the hope of a majority of youngsters in China: go overseas to study and yet very proud to be a Chinese.

But when I say the “bus” way, I mean the direct bus from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.
You can always take the train from Hong Kong to Lowu, and then take the bus from Lowu, Shenzhen to Guangzhou. Buses depart hourly from Lowu bus station, Shenzhen, next to the immigration building, for Guangzhou. But this way is not convenient, so I don’t recommend it.

There are at least a few Hong Kong bus companies operating direct bus between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. But the one I usually use is the China Travel Service (CTS) bus service. The buses are frequent, and you can get on the bus at many locations across Hong Kong island and Kowloon.

I usually go to the CTS branch in Sheung Wan for the bus. There is a booth outside the branch, overlooking the road. Get the bus ticket there and you can right away get on the bus – at the scheduled time. Wan Chai and Mong Kok CTS branches are also hot spots for getting on the direct bus.

One way journey costs about HK$100, and lasts about 2.5 to 3 hours. But do note that the drop off point in Guangzhou is different, depending on where and when you get on the bus.

Check out the CTS Hong Kong – Guangzhou bus fare and schedule here:
http://www.ctshk.com/english/bus/zhonglv.htm

Also note that since the bus will go via the Huanggang port of entry, passengers will have to get off and get on the bus twice for the immigration formality of Hong Kong side and Shenzhen side. But there will be staff on hand directing you to go back to the right bus. So no worries.

Let’s start from the “train” way:

a. Through Train (Kowloon, Hong Kong – Guangzhou East)

This is the most comfortable, convenient as well as expensive way. The through train departs from Hung Hom train station, Kowloon, Hong Kong and arrives at the Guangzhou East train station. Each day there are 12 trains going in one direction, and 24 trains in both directions. If it is a busy day, such as on the eve of a Chinese holiday, or a weekend, you will need to buy the train ticket in advance. Otherwise, you can usually get a seat for the following train on the same day.

The good news is that you can now buy the ticket online, or through tele-ticketing (make a phone call to book a ticket via credit card, and collect it at the train station before boarding) of the Hong Kong MTR train system.

For details of ticketing, check out Hong Kong MTR website：http://www.it3.mtr.com.hk/B2C/UserPage/sysTicketInformation_Eng.asp

The one-way journey is 1 hour 40 minutes. You go through the immigration formality (Hong Kong side and Mainland China side) at once, at where you board the train. So that is pretty convenient.

One way ticket costs about HK$190 for first class, and HK$230 for premium class.

But note that some of the through trains stop at Dongguan - just for a while - and some not.

b. Take the Hong Kong MTR train to Lowu station, go through the Hong Kong and Shenzhen immigrations, and then take the train from the Lowu train station, Shenzhen to Guangzhou, or vice versa.

The Lowu train station, Shenzhen is located just right next to the Hong Kong/Shenzhen immigration building. So the train transfer between Hong Kong and Shenzhen is not difficult.

This way is less expensive, and you can go almost at any time you want, since there is always a train every hour from Lowu, Shenzhen to Guangzhou, or Guangzhou to Lowu, Shenzhen. The train journey of Shenzhen -Guangzhou takes about 1.5 hours, and costs only about RMB36 for a soft seat. The Hong Kong train fare from Hung Hom, Kowloon to Lo Wu is about HK$32. Adding up, the whole journey from Hung Hom, Kowloon to Guangzhou through the non-through-train way is about HK$70, a lot cheaper than the the aforementioned through-train way.

The negative side, though, is that it takes longer time, and more trouble.

The Legal Guide targets at foreigners, but it is posted on the Chinese website of the Olympic organizers only, not on its English website. So how can the foreigners know?  Isn’t it strange??

According to the Legal Guide, entry will be denied to those:

1) having been expelled from China by the Chinese government;
2) regarded as likely to carry out terrorist and violent attacks and engage in subversive activities;
3) regarded as likely to engage in drug trafficking and prostitution;
4) with mental illness and contagious diseases such as sexually transmitted disease, leprosy and tuberculosis;
5)  who cannot afford their expenses during their stay in China;
6) regarded as likely to engage in other activities that threaten the national security and interests of China.

I have one big problem with this notice. How can China be so flagrantly discriminatory against people with mental illness and STD when the country has a large number of people with mental illness and STD, especially AIDS, who desperately need the society not to discriminate against them and need care?

You cannot rid the country of discrimination if the leadership/high ranking officials of the country are using the language of discrimination.

But when you see these photos, you will have to sigh.

These are the photos I took when I visited the Central harbor yesterday - only to find the harbor slipping away with a large swathe of land being reclaimed, extending all the way from the Post Office and old star ferry pier in Central. On this reclaimed land will stand the major government offices – the nexus of power. And on this reclaimed land, will stand also the military base of PLA, China’s military.

Until now, I cannot understand why the government offices and PLA base need to stand on this premium land, reclaimed from one of the most treasured assets of this city – the harbor, which has been giving breath and life to the city for over a century.

Seeing these pictures, you cannot help but wonder how much the city has lost for good. The saddening fact is that our government and many people here do not seem to care.

　Fu Tian Port Control Point

Lok Ma Chau Spur Line /Fu Tian Port Control Point is the second control point that has connection with railway, after Lo Wu. Passengers coming from Hong Kong can connect to the HuangGang station, the last stop on the No.4 line of Shenzhen underground railway system. The Station is situated on the ground floor of the border control building. So it is convenient for passengers.

But since the opening of the new Control Point, not as many passengers as expected are using it. This is because the area around Fu Tian Port Control Point is not as much developed as Lo Wu and there is not much choice in terms of transportation. So most of the passengers still prefer Lo Wu border crossing.

But as a traveler, if you want to go to Shenzhen from Hong Kong, and avoid the crowd, do consider Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Fu Tian Port Control Point. It will be less crowded, and the border control building is very spacious and bright.

 (Lok Ma Chau station)

The easiest way to reach the Control Point from Hong Kong is take the Hong Kong MTR East Rail line to the Shueng Shui station and transfer from there to Lok Ma Chau station, just one station away.

The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point at Hong Kong side is connected to the Fu Tian Port Control Point by a footbridge.

The Control Point operates 16 hours a day from 6.30am to 10.30pm.

Soldiers, armed police and firefighters queued up to welcome Hu during his visit to the Beichuan county, one of the hard hit areas by the powerful 7.9-magnitude Sichuan earthquake, according to South China Morning Post.

The moral of the story? Ordinary people’s lives matter little compared with the state top leader’s visit.

These people trekked to the town despite dangers and against warnings, for different reasons, showing human’s compassion and perseverance in the face of calamity and difficulties.

A story to share with all of you:

Journey into the quake’s heart of darkness
Choi Chi-yuk
May 17, 2008

Choi Chi-yuk was among the first journalists to reach Yingxiu at the epicentre of the Sichuan earthquake. In his second report, he describes the 49km trek to ground zero

As the group I am travelling with makes its way towards the heart of the disaster, fleeing refugees warn us of the conditions ahead and urge us to turn back.

“Please listen to me. Give up this idea of going there. It’s too dangerous,” a young man in his 20s yelled at us. “Rocks of all sizes are falling from the mountains. On the other side of the road is the cliff. You would have no place to hide if there is a landslide. Stop this madness now and turn back.”

Another man, his head still bandaged, chimed in. “The place has been running out of food and water since Monday. People are fighting for everything. It is a complete chaos. You’d have no place to sleep even if you do get there,” he warned.

My heart sank and my mouth ran dry. A young woman, whom we met on the road and was trying desperately to reach her family who lived at the epicentre at Wenchuan in Sichuan, turned pale and sat down on the ground in despair. She buried her face in her hands and wept quietly.

A long silence followed but when the woman looked up again, there was renewed resolution in her eyes.
“I will go! Even if this is a rush to death, I want to die together with my family,” she said.

Her brave words lifted our hearts, and nodding to each other, the five of us pushed on.

We were strangers coming from different parts of China and from all walks of life, but all eager to reach Wenchuan.

No news had come out from the epicentre since the quake struck on Monday. All roads leading to the county were destroyed or blocked by rocks.

To find out what was happening to the tens of thousands of people living there, I hiked 49km through the mountains to reach them.

My march began in Dujiangyan , midway between Wenchuan and Chengdu , at 3.30pm on Wednesday. Knowing that food and water would be scarce at the scene, I packed 2 litres of bottled water, two packs of biscuits, a notebook computer and a camera in my bag - more than 6kg in total.

Once on the road, I was joined by others also trying to head to Wenchuan - all of us driven by a different purpose to reach the disaster zone.

Yu Jianjan, a migrant worker in Qingdao , Shandong , rushed back to Sichuan after learning of the quake.
He said his parents, uncle, elder brother and sister-in-law were all living in Wenchuan.

“I have not heard a word from them since the quake. I’m sick of worrying. I must go and find out what happened to them,” Mr Yu said as tears welled in his eyes.

Zhong, a broad-shouldered man with a big bag on his back, told us that he was from Huangshi in the central province of Hubei . He packed up and came to Sichuan once he heard the news.

“I have no friends or relatives here. But I want to do my part to help people in the disaster area. I want to do my bit to help out,” he said. “This bag is full of food and water. I guess this is what is most needed in the area.”

Two girls, both in their 20s, were also members of our team. Liu Jianqin, the less shy of the two, said they were rushing back to see their classmates in Wenchuan.

The girls went to Chengdu with their teacher on Monday, narrowly escaping the disaster. But their fellow schoolmates were all trapped in Yingxiu.

We soon became friends as we helped each other to hike through the rough mountains. We followed the destroyed road linking Dujiangyan to Yingxiu.

Along the way, rocks tumbled down from the mountain on my right-hand side and crashed into the turgid Min River, sending loud booming echoes across the valley like ominous warnings.

At some sections we saw huge rocks the size of a house blocking our way. Fearing the worst, we quickened our pace despite the fatigue setting in after hours of hard walking.

The road was filled with cracks big enough to swallow up an adult. After sunset, the path would become practically impassable. We were also racing against time to reach Wenchuan before nightfall.

The fatigue, worry and anxiety soon clouded my senses. My mind went blank and I could only focus on the next step.

To keep myself up, I had to tell myself silently that I must make it to Yingxiu as soon as possible.

But I was jolted awake by the first scenes of disaster: bridges broken and scattered across fields; vehicles lying smashed and twisted at the foot of a nearby hill, the dead trapped  inside.

The odour of the bodies mixed with the smell of the rotten food spilling from the car. We were so overwhelmed with terror none of us could speak.

Night fell. But to my relief, a bright moon lit our road. Looking up, I offered a silent prayer to the sky.

We came upon a steep slope, with Yingxiu lying just behind. The path was slippery with mud after days of rainfall. Soon we were covered in dirt and sweat, forced to crawl uphill with bare hands.

At 12.30am on Thursday, after nine hours and 45km, I finally reached the outskirt of Yingxiu.

Exhausted but exited, we collapsed on the ground and could not move anymore. With the temperature only a few degrees above zero, we fell into sleep soon.

The rest was tense and brief. At about 1.30am, the ground suddenly shook and everyone jumped up in fear and wonder. At least five more aftershocks followed that night. When dawn arrived, we again set off towards the town centre - which was still 5km ahead.

Carefully navigating the broken rocks, we had to measure each of our steps, while remembering to look up for falling rocks from the hills above.

It was not until 8.30am that I reached downtown Yingxiu. My clothes were soaked with sweat, my legs felt burned by blisters, but I had made it. I was moved by what I saw on the road, and by the care and love my travel companions showed to their family and to each other.

The programmes are organized on Thursday evenings (6-7pm), called Thursday Happy Hour; and Saturday afternoons (3-4:30pm), called Saturday Arts Delights. No tickets are required. But do not expect that there are such free programmes every Thursday and Friday.

Check out Saturday Arts Delights programmes here, and Thursday Happy Hour programmes here.

Saturday Arts Delights (3-4:30pm) for May, 2008:

10 May:
Choral Music
Bel Canto Singers

Magic and Clown
PC Carnival Services Co.

24 May
A Cappella Singing
The Sregnis Singers

Western Folk Dance
Crystal Western Folk Dance Troupe

Thursday Happy Hour (6-7pm) for May 2008

15 May
Chinese Ensemble Music
Free Sing Zheng Ensemble

Who are on the list of torch bearers? Besides some athletes, there are 21 business tycoons, 13 politicians and eight artists (singers/movie stars), all pro-China. Not even one grassroots representative or a member of the democratic camp was invited to relay the torch. 

Whenever I hear that Beijing Olympics should not be boycotted because sport has nothing to do with politics, I just want to laugh. Better give some other reason than this! Sport has been, and is always intertwined with politics. Hong Kong’s torch relay list of bearers speaks volume. Not to mention the vehement patriotism shown across China.

And there are just so many things that give me the sense that the Hong Kong torch relay is not a cause for jubilation. There are: the visa curb because of the Olympics, which causes so much inconvenience to so many travellers/business people; the turning away of Danish artist Jens Galschiot; and quiz of potential protesters by police ahead of the torch relay. I cannot but feel puzzled as to why those appearing on the TV seemed so excited.

The ban is being vigorously implemented. A Nepalese trying to get a Visa in Macau had been going to the CTS for three days in a row, but each time, he told my friend, his application was turned down. There is no other alternative but he has to go back to his home country to apply for a China visa.

If your country is not on the list, do not assume that you can still get a 30-day or 60-day tourist visa. You will be given a 7-day visa only! And for this 7-day visa, you have to show the following:

1. financial statement
2. foreigners are required to show the hotel reservation during the period of travelling in China
3. a flight booking of leaving China is also necessary in order to prove their schedule of departure

You will get a small piece of paper with the above instructions (in the exact wording) when entering the Macau CTS office (the one in the city centre, not at the pier) for a China visa. So these requirements are “official”.

For item 1, you can choose to show cash equivalent to US$700, if you do not show your financial statement.

“I saw a European couple put down US$700, flight tickets and hotel coupon on the table, and the staff examined them. It is a serious business,” my friend reported.

For a 7-day visa, you pay 500MOP (Macau Pataca) if you want to get it the following day. Or you pay 210MOP for a normal service that requires 4 working days.

A Lebanese, in chatting with my friend, said he had business in Guangzhou, and could not extend his visa there. So he came to Macau to try his luck. He first went to the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Macau, only to be told that “it is illegal to issue him a visa”. So he came to the CTS office and was given a 7-day visa, a visa that is far shorter than he wanted, but then it is still a visa.

It seems that it may be easier to get a China (tourist) visa through the CTS rather than through the government channel, and Hong Kong and Macau may no longer be the haven for China visas, at least not until the Olympics is over.  

Related:

Get a China visa in Macau

Get a China visa in Macau (part 2)

The recent visa restrictions imposed by the mainland authorities are a fact, but the mainland authorities have not been able to stipulate the restrictions, and how these restrictions will affect business people and tourists of different nationalities. All the news coming out so far have been bits and pieces, and information is not TRANSPARENT. There is no official announcement whatsoever!

Because of the lack of transparency, European business chambers in Hong Kong have been pressing mainland authorities to come up with clear information on China visas, but to no avail so far.

China is not a country that you can associate it with transparency. Not yet.

Report from South China Morning Post for your information:

Foreign Office asks Beijing to clarify changes to visa rules
 
Albert Wong
Apr 23, 2008          
 
Concerns about newly imposed restrictions on visas for travel to the mainland have been taken up at the diplomatic level, Britain’s top representative in Hong Kong said yesterday. But so far, China had provided no answers, said Andrew Seaton.

Exasperation has been growing among foreign businesspeople and chambers of commerce at the restrictions and at the dearth of official information about them.

The British consul general, who said fostering business ties was one of his priorities, revealed that the Foreign Office had taken up the matter with mainland authorities.

“The British chamber, I know, has been very concerned about the real impact it has on the ability of their membership to pursue business in China … We have also taken up the matter with Chinese authorities in Hong Kong, Beijing and indeed in London, to try to get as much clarification as we can on quite what the changes are,” he said.

Business chambers have received hundreds of complaints about what appears to be a tightening of visa regulations in the lead-up to the Olympics. Businessmen who need to make frequent trips to the mainland have been the worst affected.

Travel agents have said they were notified on March 27 that no new multiple-entry visas would be issued until October. On April 1, when the Commissioner’s Officer of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong took over issuing all visas, immigration officers at the border stopped issuing short-stay visas for Shenzhen.

Last week, the office confirmed that visa applicants must present return tickets and a hotel voucher to secure a tourist visa; business travellers need a “visa notification form”.

Beijing denies there has been any change in visa policy. Travel agents link the changes to the Olympics.
 

However, because of the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer, this is no longer the case, at least not until after the Olympics. The Chinese Government has curbed China visa applications. From all the news coming in, here’s the latest situation:

It is LARGELY true that you do not need to reside or work in Hong Kong in order to get a China visa in the city, though the Commissioner’s Office put up a notice on its website on April 13, which says that only those residing or working in Hong Kong can apply for a China visa through the Office.

The fact seems to be that as long as your country is not on the following list, you can still apply for a China visa in Hong Kong: Afghanistan, Tunisia, Algeria, Bangladesh ,Congo, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, lraq,  Mali, Libya, South Africa, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan,  Malaysia, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, Mauritania, Saudi Arab, Sierra Leone, Syria.

The Guardian also reported on April 18 that 33 countries’ citizens are barred from applying for China visas in Hong Kong.

Procedure of applying for a China tourist visa through the Commissioner’s Office has been tightened up. You not only need to prepare your photo, passport, visa application form, but also to show an onward ticket and proof of hotel reservation. This is report from Hong Kong’s Chinese newspaper MingPao on April 19, quoting spokesman of the Commissioner’s Office.

This is also true with applying for a China visa through CTS or other agents. I reported on April 17 about the new requirement of showing onward flight tickets in applying for a tourist visa through CTS.

That means you are now required to prepare flight ticket and hotel reservation voucher if you want to get a China visa in HK, either through the Commissioner’s Office or travel agents.

And be prepared for a longer processing time (previously three days was the norm for normal visa service), as now more documents are required for visa applications and hence longer processing time is needed.

———————————————————————-

Upon my posting of the above update on getting a China visa in HK, I saw this article in South China Morning Post, which confirms again my report:

New curbs on travel to the mainland 
Travel agents report fresh China visa hurdles; businesses worried 
Liz Heron
Updated on Apr 18, 2008 

New visa restrictions have been imposed without warning on travel to the mainland by the central government - causing fresh consternation among business leaders and travel agents in Hong Kong.

Travel agents say all travellers - including those taking trips to Shenzhen - must show return travel tickets and hotel vouchers to get a visa; that visitors from 33 countries can no longer get visas in Hong Kong but must apply in their home countries; and that a new visa has replaced the short-stop visa for Shenzhen.

At least one business traveller has been stranded in Hong Kong by the restrictions, which were disclosed on Monday to travel agency couriers and came into effect on Tuesday.

The rules have been issued by the Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong.

Among the 33 countries whose nationals, travel agents say, can no longer get visas in Hong Kong are Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria and Turkey. The ban does not apply to people from these countries living in Hong Kong.

The changes come days after travel agents said they had been told on March 27 that no new multiple-entry visas would be issued until October. In addition, immigration offices at the border stopped issuing short-stay visas to Shenzhen on April 1, when the commissioner’s office took over the issuing of all visas.

The office said yesterday multiple-entry visas could still be issued.

The moves have provoked acute concern from chambers of commerce, who fear the interests of Hong Kong companies will be damaged.

Daryl Bending, senior travel consultant with Concorde Travel, said: “We were told late on Monday with pretty much immediate effect that anyone wishing to travel to any mainland destination was required to have a copy of the airline ticket and the hotel voucher before they apply for a visa.

“We were also told about a new visa for entering Shenzhen, which will effectively replace the on-the-spot Shenzhen visa that used to be issued at the border.

“Previously, if you went up to the border you could get a visa there, which was for approximately five days. We were told on Tuesday that the hotel voucher and proof-of-travel requirement would also apply to Shenzhen whether the passenger goes by boat, train or car.”

Mr Bending said: “I think the restrictions will deter some foreign tourists from travelling to China at all and … put an end to much of the casual traffic from Hong Kong to Shenzhen for shopping and recreation.”

Bus company name: Chinalink Bus Company Limited

Website: http://www.chinalink.hk/co_service_routes17.html (in Chinese only)

Hotline (Hong Kong): (852) 2230 3030

Whole journey time: 75 minutes - fast

Through: Shenzhen Hong Kong West Corridor, with Hong Kong/mainland China checkpoints under one roof – convenient

Cost: HK$100

Departing from Hong Kong:

7:15 – 19:15 daily; two buses departing hourly; at :15 and at :45 (7:15, 7;45, 8:15, 8:45, 9:15, etc)

Ticketing office: 1/F, Elements Shopping Mall, at Kowloon Station (Exit C, Kowloon Station of Hong Kong MTR)

Departing from Shenzhen Airport:

9:30 – 21:00 daily; two buses departing hourly; at :30 and at :00 (09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, etc)

Ticketing office: A08, B04 counters, Arrival Hall, Shenzhen Airport