Macau writ large

HENGQIN

A plan for the territory to attract many more tourists

Apr 8th 2017

CAN MACAU KICK its addiction to gambling? The former Portuguese colony’s economy is dominated by casinos. Officials now want to diversify its business model to include entertainment and family attractions, as Las Vegas has done. The snag is that Macau has about 30 square kilometres of land. But a solution is, literally, within reach.

Hengqin, an underdeveloped island about three times the size of Macau, is just 200 metres away. Part of the city of Zhuhai, it has been made into a special economic zone to help Macau diversify, offering more liberal investment rules and tax breaks. Money is also going into infrastructure such as direct access to the HKZM bridge.

Niu Jing, a high-ranking party official in Hengqin, wants to see Macau and Hengqin develop together into a top-flight entertainment, culture and services cluster. He says that investments of 800bn-1trn yuan are planned over the next 20 years, of which 70% will come from the private sector. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a big theme park, has opened on Hengqin. A water-sports park is in the works. International schools, hospitals, restaurants and shows are being wooed. To attract more investment, officials have cut red tape. Visas will be offered on demand. Macau residents can drive to Hengqin without mainland licence plates, and Hong Kong residents can work on the island and still pay the territory’s low income taxes.

Best of all, there is the Underground Great Wall—the local moniker for a massive tunnel, over 33km long, which contains all the utility pipes and cables needed for development. Electricity, heat, water, communications and waste from the entire island flow through it and are controlled centrally. Three cables (helpfully labelled “Public Security”, “Military Police” and “Island Surveillance”) carry the signals needed for the security forces to keep an eye on everything.