The first high-speed rail from Qingdao to east Hangzhou began running at 2:39 pm on Aug 1, marking the official operation of the direct high-speed rail, Cnr.cn?reported. China's two popular tourist attractions, Qingdao in the north and Hangzhou in the south, are now successfully connected.

Before the high-speed rail, it took passengers more than 8 hours to travel from Qingdao to Hangzhou. Now it only takes 6 hours and 43 minutes, saving passengers the trouble of changing trains at Shanghai during the trip. Passengers could take the high-speed rail at 2:37 pm at Qingdao station and arrive in east Hangzhou at 9:20 pm. The direct high-speed rail surely brings people greater convenience travelling between two economically advanced cities.

Edited by Michael Thai and Zhao Jingchen