High-speed trains linking Xi'an and Chongqing begin operation

Bullet trains stop in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 5, 2017. High-speed rail line linking Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi, and Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, went into operation on Dec. 6, 2017, slashing the travel time between the two cities from about 11 hours to just 4. The 658-kilometer new line is China's first rail route running through the Qinling Mountains, the natural boundary between north and south China. (Xinhua/Wang Shutian)