It was a wrench for real estate agent Marco Yuen Wai-pong when he relocated to Beijing for better opportunities in the wake of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.
'My life changed completely when I first started working on the mainland,' says Yuen, who found work with a property company in the capital. 'There were no movies or TV shows that I was familiar with or cared to watch. I couldn't find any of the entertainment that I'd taken for granted in Hong Kong.'
Most of all, he missed his wife. Although he flew back each month for a few days' stay, it was far from satisfactory.
'The internet then wasn't as developed as it is today. So when we were separated, my wife and I couldn't communicate much.'
After the first of his two daughters was born five years ago, Yuen and his wife decided they'd reached a pivotal point and the family needed to stay together in Beijing. 'We didn't want to put our daughter through this [long-distance relationship]. I should have settled my family here earlier so they would find it easier to adapt to the new environment,' says Yuen, 45, who has since set up his own property agency in the capital.
From a trickle in the past, the number of Hongkongers working on the mainland has swelled substantially in the post-handover years, rising to 244,000 in 2004 although they dipped to 218,200 in 2008. Those who have had to support families from a distance while establishing careers on the mainland, feel a little separation does make the heart grow fonder. Whereas the 'astronaut' lifestyle of families with one person here and another in Canada or Australia often strained domestic ties during the wave of migration in the 80s, some experts say this hasn't been as severe with Hong Kong professionals based on the mainland.