At 8.30am on Monday, 24-year-old Lisa Sun leaves her flat in Shenzhen and begins her long commute to work.
It starts with an e-bike ride through her neighbourhood, followed by a packed Metro journey, a border crossing intermission, and a similarly packed MTR trip. Ninety minutes later, she steps out into the bustle of Causeway Bay in Hong Kong – ready to start her day at the office.
She repeats the same journey in reverse after work, finally getting home close to 9pm.
Sun, born in the southwestern province of Sichuan, is one of a growing number of people commuting between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, trading time on the cities’ subway systems for more space and lower costs.
There has been a flood of posts on China’s RedNote social media platform from cross-border commuters – and those considering the move – sharing tips on the best Shenzhen neighbourhoods to find a place to rent, and which checkpoints and transport options to choose.
“I decided to commute between Shenzhen and Hong Kong the day I got the job, because I wanted to live alone, but renting a flat in Hong Kong on my own would be way too expensive,” Sun said.
