“Where do you spend your weekends?”
It is the most frequently asked question in Hong Kong now.
And the answer is always “Shenzhen.”
There are many reasons why this is happening. Among other things, consider the following explanations that you might have already heard:
1) “Hong Kong is too small. There are not that many attractions here that I can enjoy with my family and my growing children. Overseas trips are too expensive and we can’t do it over the weekend.”
2) “For a meal in Hong Kong for a family of four, I could use the same money to have a nice lunch and dinner in Shenzhen.”
3) “The services I received in Shenzhen is a lot better than in Hong Kong.”
Naturally, when our overseas schoolmates returned to visit us, we asked what we could do for them.
The immediate answer was to let them have a taste of Shenzhen, so they could understand why Hong Kongers cross the border in such large numbers over the weekend.
Eddie Chiu has the most experience with Shenzhen. Leo Lau should be counted as another, but he was out of town.
So Eddie volunteered to organize a day trip to Shenzhen on May 12, 2026. Eddie has a business operation in Shenzhen and lives there three days a week.
Eddie was very thoughtful that old men like us wanted a leisurely trip. He set up a chat group and asked people to register if they wished to go.
Obviously, the trip was intended mostly for our two Canadian visitors, James Wong and Humphrey Chiu.
And it was for boys only. Don’t get too imaginative and think we would do something silly as a boys-only tour group!
The group consists of Reynaldo Alfonso, Simon Cheng, Eddie Chiu, Humphrey Chiu, Charles Lamb, Lawrence Lee, William So, Dave Yip, and James Wong — altogether nine persons.
Eddie organized a minivan to pick up five people from the new General Post Office in Central at 11 a.m. Eddie drove his own car which comfortably seated four people, including the driver.
Our border crossing was very smooth. For those who have not visited China for a while, there is no need to use your China Hong Kong resident ID. It’s by face recognition nowadays.
All you need to do is stand in front of a screen that scans your face, and then the gate opens. After you enter the compartment, the machine will scan your fingerprint. Once that’s done, you are in China. Since he was using his Canadian passport, James needed to go through the checkpoint for foreigners without a visa. It only took him about five minutes for entry.
Eddie then drove to his office, parked his car there, and asked his driver to take the four of us in his China van. We all gathered at the first rendezvous, an Omakase Japanese sashimi restaurant. Three people who did not eat sashimi went to a nearby teppanyaki restaurant.
The seafood included many delicious dishes. The total cost of the meal was RMB298 per person, or about HK$400 each depending on the exchange rate you actually get. If you order the same meal in Hong Kong’s Central district, it would cost at least HK$1,500 per head, excluding a 10% service charge.
Now you understand why Hong Kong people flood into Shenzhen over the weekend.
After lunch, we took a stroll and ended up at Rey’s Shenzhen office, where we saw Rey acting like the boss. Actually, he hardly ever goes there as it’s his son who manages it.
Then the party broke into two. Eddie, James, and Lawrence went to have their massage. The rest gave some excuses, such as “not used to having someone touch my body” or the “hygiene factor.” Maybe they thought the three were going to some hanky panky outfits. No doubt those joints still exist, but not in Shenzhen’s central business district.
When people asked James about his massage, his response was “I gave the masseurs a 5-star ‘Like’.” He told everyone it was his most relaxed day since returning to Hong Kong.
Later, we regrouped at a Chinese restaurant known for its pigeon dishes. Looking at the photos would make you hungry. All had fun eating and chatting, relaxing throughout the evening, which ended at 8 p.m.
The costs of that meal for nine people were RMB1,500. The minivan then took people back on an uneventful journey. Eddie took back his own car and drove three others back to Hong Kong on a separate route.
The total costs, including transportation and two meals, were RMB 611 per head. It rounded out to just over HK$800 each, when you figure in the exchange rate and other charges.
“Thank you Eddie,” James said. “I had a really good time! 😊🙏👍”
Three days later, it was time for our regular monthly dinner in Hong Kong for the Class of 1969. This time, it was also a farewell gathering for James and Humphrey.
The food was superlative!
And the company beyond compare!
Courtesy of our Raimondi videographer: 1969 F5 Class dinned in 金牛苑 菜單:- 蟹肉牛油果沙律 春卷 燒鴨胸蝦片 蝦球酸湯 西班牙一字骨 南乳燒雞 香酥龍蝦球 咖哩焗四蔬 蒜蓉包 甜品 Photo, video & edit by Anthony Cheung (74)
Raimondi '69 