On July 1st, China's high-speed railway will launch a direct route between 
Chengdu and Hong Kong. The train departs from the Chengdudong Railway Station 
at 8:48 am, passes through Leshan, Yibin, Guiyang, Guilin, Foshan, Guangzhou, 
Shenzhen and other places, and then arrives at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station 
at 18:55 pm, with the whole journey lasting approximately 10 hours and 7 
minutes. In terms of the other direction, the departure time from Hong Kong is 
10:08 am, and the arrival time in Chengdu is 19:53 pm, with the duration of the 
entire journey lasting about 9 hours and 45 minutes.

According to China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd., in order to ensure 
smooth transition of operation, Chengdudong Railway Station has optimized 
semi-self-service ticket gates and other equipment in the complex to ensure the 
normal use of the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents. 
Passenger service attendants of the Chengdu section of the Chengdu-Hong Kong 
high-speed railway route have undergone special Cantonese training, so that the 
crew members can quickly master basic Cantonese. Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily 
reported that the train will facilitate the exchange of people traveling 
between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

Located in western China, Chengdu is well-known as a sanctuary of the 
endangered species of the giant panda. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda 
Breeding is home to the world's largest captive-bred giant panda population. As 
a core city of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, a national-level urban 
agglomeration, Chengdu has a permanent population of over 21 million, and has 
succeeded into one of the fastest-growing cities in China in recent years.

Chengdu and Hong Kong have fostered long-standing and in-depth cooperation in 
various fields such as finance, culture and tourism, and urban construction. In 
2022, there were 1,520 Hong Kong enterprises in Chengdu, and injected 1.259 
billion U.S. dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Chengdu. From 
January to April 2023, 73 new Hong Kong enterprises have established in 
Chengdu, with a foreign direct investment of 453 million U.S. dollars.

Direct boarding and customs clearance in Hong Kong, and the opening of the 
high-speed rail line provide passengers traveling between Chengdu and Hong Kong 
with yet another travel option. At the same time, this linkage further advances 
the flow of people as well as economic and trade exchanges between the two 
sides, reinvigorating the rapid development of the regional economy.
 
On July 28th, the 31st FISU Summer World University Games will be held in 
Chengdu, which is the first time for a city in western China to host a world 
comprehensive event. The opening of the "Chengdu-Hong Kong" high-speed rail 
line may provide a new path for people to participate in this sports festival.

Source: China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd.