Bridge cruise takes you close to man-made marvels

Contractors who built it joined tourists on the May 13 inaugural closeup cruise to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao (HZM) Bridge. The 200 passengers visited the Jiuzhou, Jianghai, and Qingzhou channel overpasses; western and eastern engineered islands, subsea tunnel, Hong Kong link line, and Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities island.

The cruise is offered by Zhuhai High-Speed Passenger Liner. It uses the new deluxe high-speed catamaran Hai Qin, which is known for safety, comfort, and being the fastest ship of its kind in the country.

The vessel can accommodate 288 passengers. It departs from the Zhuhai-Macao frontier port island at 10:15 am, 2:15 pm, and 4:15 pm daily. The cruise takes about 90 minutes.

The route gets closer to the eastern island than any previous one, also getting near Hong Kong's Lantau Island. This provides an intimate look at the island and three magnificent steel towers in the shapes of Chinese knots, dolphins, and sails.

The sail-shaped steel tower is a signature structure of the Jiuzhou Channel Overpass and can be seen from Lovers Avenue in Zhuhai. The dolphin configuration spans the Jianghai Channel Overpass in the Lingding Sea. The area contains the world's largest habitat of Chinese White Dolphin, known as Giant Pandas of the Sea.

Passengers are encouraged to exit the cabin for a better view when the vessel approaches the Chinese-knot-shaped steel tower on the Qingzhou Channel Overpass, which is the longest span of the HZM Bridge main body.

The world's longest bridge-tunnel complex spans 55 km (34.2miles). Connecting three tunnel sections, the two engineered islands link the main bridge with immersed passageways. Buildings on both are oyster-shaped but function differently. The eastern island is a comprehensive operation center dealing with traffic, administration, service, rescue, and sightseeing. The western holds offices and focuses on maintenance and protection.

Zhuhai High-Speed Passenger Liner is a subsidiary of Zhuhai Jiuzhou Holdings Group.