About 10 per cent of the flats built in Shenzhen last year were bought by Hong Kong people, a record high.
Figures released by Shenzhen authorities show that the gross floor area of flats owned by Hong Kong people reached 560,000 square metres last year, a 53 per cent increase over the 1998 figure.
They account for about 10 per cent of flats - in terms of area - built across the border and are mostly being used as second homes at weekends and during holidays. Shenzhen authorities generally monitor flat construction by area, rather than by counting the number built.
The figures support recent surveys carried out in Hong Kong, which have found that an increasing number of people are considering living in Shenzhen.
About 51,300 Hong Kong residents live on the mainland, mainly in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou, according to a government survey released last month. The administration said the difference in living costs between the mainland and the SAR encouraged people to buy homes across the border. The trend might accelerate if social and health facilities on the mainland were improved, the survey said.
Hong Kong resident Wong Chi-fai, 38, an insurance agent, bought a flat in Shenzhen last year. Accompanied by his wife, six-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, Mr Wong said he stayed at his second home once or twice a month. 'It is nice to have a flat of more than 1,000 square feet that costs less than half-a-million dollars,' he said.