Originally Posted by arthursiew

Let me clear this up for future travelers that may be in the same position.

At check in, TK does not even check for visas. However, there is one agent that checks for visas at the gate for all flights bound for China. In this case, a HK passport is required since the agent does not recognize the Home Return Permit; this is especially important once in China as the Home Return Permit is not adequate for entry without the HK passport; the immigration officer will definitely ask for the flight that you took since the arrival card is not necessary for the permit holders. Since the flight that we took did not originate from HK, the HK passport is required.

In short, if your flight did not originate from HK, you need to pair the Home Return Permit with the HK passport. Hope this helps.