Hengqin New Area is a special economic zone adjacent to glitzy casino hub Macao. A new central business district, Shizimen, is under development, along with two major industrial parks, both primarily focused on producing traditional Chinese medicine. Hengqin New Area is mostly intended to invigorate the Chinese Mainland’s trade and cooperation with Macao.

The free-trade zone occupies Hengqin island, which is also set to become one of the Greater Bay Area’s major transport hubs: a 21-hectare port will link subway lines of both Macao and Zhuhai. Residents of Macao and Hong Kong may enter and exit the island through the checkpoint at Lotus Bridge, which connects with Macao.

One of the new area’s goals is to diversify Macao’s economy, which is currently heavily focused on gaming. The area already has a new branch of the University of Macau, with more family-friendly theme parks and hotels in the pipeline.