Shekou Ferry Terminal (1981–2016) Explained

Shekou Ferry Terminal was a ferry port located in Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China. It allowed for direct ferry connections from Shenzhen to destinations across the Pearl River Delta. It was operated by China Merchant Shekou Ferry Terminal Service Co., Ltd. It was also known as Shekou Port Ferry Terminal. It was the waterway passenger transportation junction of Shenzhen. Ferry operations were operated by TurboJET and CKS Ferries.

It was replaced by the Shekou Cruise Center a.k.a. the new Shekou Ferry Terminal.

Structure

The terminal was built in 1981, and the coastline of the terminal was 1,025m long, there were 16 berths, and covered an area of 25,371m2. It had two ticket halls, three waiting halls (two for HK-Macau line, and one for domestic line) and six service counters for pre-check-in.

Destinations

In 2013, there were 30 ships operating from the terminal, of which 22 are high speed luxury ferries, and 8 were ordinary high speed ferries. These service five scheduled high speed passenger ship lines (namely Shekou to Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong, Macau Peninsula, Macau's Taipa Island and Zhuhai) and nonscheduled charter services to Pearl River Delta islands.

Destination
English (Chinese)
Terminal name
English (Chinese)
Service schedule
from Shekou (to Shekou)
Distance
nautical miles (duration)
Hong KongHong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal (Chinese: 港澳碼頭)0745–1915 (0900–2030)25Nm (50min)
Hong Kong International AirportSkypier (Chinese: 海天客運碼頭)0745–2100 (0900–2145)11Nm (30min)
MacauOuter Harbour Ferry Terminal (Chinese: 外港客運碼頭)0815–1930 (0945–2045)25Nm (1 hour)
MacauTaipa Temporary Ferry Terminal0930–1900 (1100–2030)32Nm (70min)
ZhuhaiZhuhai Jiuzhou Ferry Terminal0730–2130 (0800–2130)25Nm (1 hour)

Pre-check-in service was available for certain flights departing from Hong Kong International Airport, so at Shekou Terminal, passengers could directly get the boarding pass and baggage delivery service for flights taking off from Hong Kong International Airport. Participating airlines are as follows for check-in services:[1]

Ground transportation

From the ferry terminal building itself, taxis were available close to the door. A connecting bus depot offered local services across Nanshan but with some services across to Futian and Luohu districts of the city terminating at Shenzhen railway station. Airport Express Line 10 offers quick transfer to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. Metro rail services are available beyond the bus depot at the underground Shekou Port station on the Shekou Line.

Closure

Since its original construction, there had been very limited modifications and renovations to the terminal building. It was announced by the operating company, in December 2013, that a major redevelopment would take place. Construction started in 2014, and it was expected to take 3 years to complete. The ferry services and facilities were to be greatly expanded and allow for cruise ships to dock at the same facility.[2] The new Shekou Cruise Center opened on November 1, 2016. It is located 1.5 km south-west of the old ferry terminal with a free shuttle bus connecting the new terminal with the Shekou Port Metro Station.[3] The ferry terminal was closed and demolished as part of further urban renewal and redevelopment works.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Transport - Transport Connection with Mainland China - Check-in at PRD - Ferry ports - Hong Kong International Airport . Hongkongairport.com . 2014-01-02.
  2. Web site: New ferry terminal in 3 yrs: developer-szdaily多媒体数字报刊平台 . Szdaily.sznews.com . 2013-12-05 . 2014-01-02.
  3. Web site: Han. Ximin. New ferry terminal revealed. Shenzhen Daily. 28 October 2016.