Dozens gathered in Sheung Shui yesterday to protest parallel-trading and call on the government to limit the number of mainland Chinese allowed to enter the territory daily. 

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The protest began at 3 pm and the group members lined up a banner with some words of “Back to mainland shopping, do not affect our lives” and shouted “return to mainland” to fight against the large number of parallel traders from Mainland China come to Hong Kong.

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Landmark North in Sheung Shui area is the nearest shopping center in Hong Kong to mMainland China.A large number of parallel traders from mainland prefer to choose to come and shop here.

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Data from the Immigration Department shows that the average number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong from January to August this year is about 130,000 per day. 

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Liang Jincheng, the spokesman of protest group, and its group members urged the authorities to pay attention to this phenomenon and enact certain policies to limit the visitors from Mainland China up to 85,000 each day.

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The protest activity attracted a lot of passers-by, causing the overpass to become overcrowded.

 

 “Sheung Sshui now is totally overcrowded, overloaded and we seriously urge the parallel traders to return to the mainland for shopping." Liang said. " What Sheung Shui now experienced is what Hong Kong will suffer in the future.”  

 

“In recent years, there are more and more stores only opened for parallel traders from mainland and the residents who live here simply do not need such a large number of cosmetics shops and drugstores. We totally lose our community already,” Tan Kaibang, one of the residents live in Sheung Shui, said. “The sidewalks here are always filled with the luggage of parallel traders and it has seriously affectedour life and travel.”