Hengqin New Area, the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone, and Hongwan and Wanzai will merge as a Zhuhai city center and economic engine of the Greater Bay Area to deepen cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

An integrated development plan for the merger was approved by the Zhuhai government on Sept 6 and published by the Hengqing government on its official website on Sept 18.

The 46.64-sq-km (18-sq-mile) integrated zone is located in the southwest Zhuhai central urban area. It neighbors Macao to the east, and faces Jinwan and Doumen districts in the west. The area is estimated to have a fluctuating population of 420,000 to 480,000 residents, and 400,000 to 550,000 employees in the long run.

Integrated zone 

As for industrial layout, the new city center will have an eclectic mix of business, financial services, and cultural and recreational facilities. Hengqin, for example, will host a raft of high-end projects such as Hengqin International Financial Center (IFC Tower), Hengqin Street, and Intercontinental Shipping Center.

A link to rail transit Line 1, the southern extension of Line 2, and rail transit Line 4 are poised to run across the integrated zone to connect it with Xiangzhou District and the western urban area.

Meanwhile, the proposed Beijing-Zhuhai, Jiangmen-Zhuhai highways, and Guangzhou-Zhuhai and Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Zhuhai-Macao intercity MRTs will bring the new zone closer to Hong Kong, Macao, and mainland cities.

Hengqin Street

Supportive public facilities include 110-hectare (272-acre) Central Green Valley Park near the south section of Lovers Avenue, a Culture & Art Experience Center, Cultural & Creative Design Art Gallery, and Future Science & Technology Museum. 

Also planned are five comprehensive hospitals, two of which will be built to Grade-III Class-A standards and provide 800 beds. Hengqin will cooperate with Guangzhou Medical University to build one of the Grade-III Class-A facilities.

The neighborhood has abundant education resources, with 14 primary, seven middle, and three high schools in the works. Noteworthy are the ILA Hengqin and Wycombe Abbey Hengqin, the latter being Wycombe Abbey's first international school in China.

IFC Tower [Photos courtesy WeChat account: zhtqb12345]