Macau New Neighbourhood (MNN) in Hengqin is an important pilot project bringing together quality living space, business, education, medical, and social services into one place, where Macau-standard public services are extended to and docked with Macau social welfare facilities, to create a comfortable living environment that is similar to Macau.

1.Project location

MNN is located in Xiangshun Lu No. 388-389 in the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. It is situated in the heart of the Cooperation Zone in the embrace of Xiao Hengqin Mountain and overlooking Tianmu River, forming a pleasant scenery to the living environment.

Residential towers are connected by wind-rain corridors to shield residents from direct sunlight and rain. The street lamps, railings, and the grounds in the neighbourhood’s public areas have been incorporated with South European style as well as Portuguese-style cobblestone pavements which are features of Macau to give people a sense of familiarity in the neighbourhood.

2. Livelihood facilities

1. School: With a gross floor area of over 21,000 square metres, the school has a capacity of 18 primary school classes and 12 kindergarten classes for about 1,050 pupils. It features an outdoor playing field as well as recreation and sports facilities that were built using Macau standards as a reference. The school entity from Macau that will help run this school expects the facility will formally be in use in the 2024/2025 school year. A secondary school is in the pipeline so that the provision of basic education facilities is complete.
2. Health Station: With a gross floor area of about 1,000 square metres, the scale and operating model of the facility use Macau Health Centres and Macau’s primary care as references so as to provide Macau residents with general out-patient service as well as medical and healthcare services.
3. Family and Community Service Centre: With a gross floor area of about 1,200 square metres, the centre features a family activity room, a meeting room as well as a multi-purpose room, in addition to providing personal and family support services, to enhance residents’ sense of gain and happiness in their family life.
4. Seniors’ Service Centre: With a gross floor area of about 860 square metres, the facility provides different care services for elders and features a multi-functional activity room and exercise room to provide a diverse range of support services, with the aim of helping senior citizens expand their living circles and nurture their interests.

The above-mentioned livelihood facilities, which are completed together with the residential units, will shortly be handed over to professional and experienced entities from Macau to help operate the facilities.

3. Recreation and sports venues

The project is situated in the embrace of Xiao Hengqin Mountain, creating a living environment where nature and the city meet. Greenery in the neighbourhood is over 36 percent, which means the coverage of green areas exceeds 73,000 square metres. There are also lawns, landscaped gardens, a tennis court, a basketball court, children’s playgrounds and fitness plazas. The plot ratio of the whole neighbourhood is 2.17, creating a liveable community for residents.

There is also a clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, gym room, dance room, calligraphy room, karaoke room, children’s play area, board game room and a reading lounge to suit people of all ages.

4. Shops

MNN completed applications for businesses in May this year. After an evaluation process, with priority given to Macau enterprises as well as food and beverage (F&B) establishments, the commercial space is set to have about 40 shops that will gradually be opened before the end of this year. The types of shops include a supermarket, banks, pharmacies, a bakery, a coffee shop, a learning centre, a hair salon, a beauty salon as well as a dried seafood and tonic product shop, among others, with the aim of providing residents with convenience and meeting their everyday needs.

5. Transport

The property management company at MNN will provide a shuttle bus service for residents there to travel between Hengqin and the neighbourhood. There is also a car park with 4,000 car parking spaces as options for residents.

The Hengqin Line of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) will be in operation in 2024, facilitating the integration of Macau-Hengqin into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

As for cross-border transport, there are a total of six cross-border bus routes that cover Macau New Neighbourhood, which are A2, B1, B2, B5, B6 and C1.

Currently, there are five public bus routes in Hengqin that stop at MNN along Gang’ao Dadao (avenue) to Hengqin Port, which are 62, 87, Z50, Z52 and Z56. Based on the actual needs, the Urban Planning and Construction Bureau of Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has formulated an adjustment plan for bus routes that run between MNN and Hengqin Port, which includes improving the bus frequency and adding bus stops in order to meet transportation needs.

In addition, the Cooperation Zone on 17 November extended its driverless bus line to MNN, expanding its scope of service.

6. Others

A collaboration between Guangdong and Macau, MNN is the first large-scale integrated livelihood project built for Macau residents. With support from all sectors, the MNN community will create an internet and television broadcasting environment similar to Macau, and will progressively roll out measures for Macau residents to bring their foreign domestic helpers to the Cooperation Zone.

For bringing pets across the border, according to the regulations, each person can bring one pet dog or pet cat each time when crossing the border to enter the mainland. The pet must be microchipped where identification information can be read with a scanner. When crossing the border, applicants need to present the quarantine certificate and the certificate of valid vaccination against rabies issued by the entity responsible for animal inspection in Macau. More about living in the Cooperation Zone can be found in a booklet compiled by legal professionals of Cooperation Zone’s Legal Affairs Bureau.

Moreover, the Cooperation Zone’s Government Affairs Service Center was officially in operation in September providing administrative and public services, consultation service and a 24-hour self-service to serve residents living in the Cooperation Zone. With the introduction of favourable policies and measures in the Cooperation Zone, the livelihood facilities will bring more convenience to the people there, where MNN residents can also enjoy the benefits.