New high-speed rail bridges central, western China for coordinated development

In Manchuanguan Ancient Town, a centuries-old trading hub on the Shaanxi-Hubei border, retiree Zhou Zongqi stood outside a historic guild hall on the day the railway opened, sharing stories of the town's past with visitors.

"Weekend visitor numbers used to be only a few thousand," he said. "Now that high-speed rail has arrived, that number could multiply several times. I'm already preparing for a busier summer."

"The Xi'an-Shiyan line is not only a new transportation artery," noted Hu Jiliang, deputy director of the Economic Research Center at Central China Normal University. "It is also a golden tourism corridor that will generate deep and lasting benefits for regional development along its route."