“I saw it online and I really wanted to have one. I’m disappointed that it is sold out, but I still got a lot of good deals here,” she said.

Slow start for Hong Kong restaurants on National Day as deals go unnoticed

As Hong Kong enjoys the dual festivities during the three-day long weekend, many are taking the chance to head to mainland China for a short break. Official figures show more than 342,000 people had left the city as of 9pm on Sunday, including 280,000 who travelled via land checkpoints.

A day earlier, authorities found that 545,408 people had left Hong Kong and 394,166 had entered the city, resulting in a net outflow of 151,242. Most of those leaving did so by land-based border crossings and travelled to Shenzhen.

But many of those heading to the neighboring city, such as Wong, opted to ignore popular pastimes and take advantage of the various commodities and services going for less.

“Massages, manicures, hotpots and KTV have always been available in Shenzhen for the past 20 years. They are not new at all. Shopping at a huge warehouse like this is something that I haven’t had a chance to experience in Hong Kong,” she said.

During the trip, Wong and her boyfriend spent about 1,000 yuan on snacks, including supersized bags of chips and chocolate, boxes of cakes and some fruits. The couple also bought a robot vacuum cleaner.

Another Hongkonger hoping to experience a different side of Shenzhen on Sunday was software engineer Zachary Leung. The 32-year-old said he and his friends were taking the chance to hang out with some gamers in the city after meeting them online.

Leung said he planned to spend the night at an esports hotel in the Huaqiangbei subdistrict, with his two-twin-bed suite equipped with two computers and coming to 560 yuan, breakfast included.

In comparison, a typical internet cafe in Hong Kong charges HK$30 per hour, which is about 520 yuan.

John Lee hails Hongkongers as ‘full of ideas’, urges unity on National Day

The software engineer said he booked the room on the Meituan app, a Chinese on-demand food delivery service that can also be used to hunt for hotel rooms and leisure activities.

“It’s going to be fun hanging out with the gaming community in Shenzhen, who I have been talking to via WeChat and during games,” he said. “Although we can play together in different places, seeing them in person is even better as we all are passionate about gaming. We have a lot to share with each other.”

The group’s trip came a day after Hong Kong earned its first-ever esports medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

“Chinese gamers are so determined to excel in esports. We can totally learn something from them,” Leung added.

Hongkongers cross border for National Day long weekend, eyeing good deals and food

Meanwhile, Eli Tang Sin-yi said she and her friend were visiting Shenzhen for a yoga and Pilates retreat after it was recommended on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.

“The studios in Hong Kong are usually packed with people during weekends, so you have to book a week before,” the public relations executive, 26, said.

“Shenzhen is actually not that far with a lot of studios to choose from, with special offers on the Meituan app.”

The duo booked two 60-minute one-on-one sessions for both Saturday and Sunday at a studio near Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre, for a total of 308 yuan.

“In Hong Kong, a one-hour private session can cost about HK$1,000,” Tang said. “I always do group classes with my yearly membership. So this is totally new for me.”