New high-speed rail opens fresh pathways to tourism and growth in mountainous Guizhou

新高铁为贵州山区的旅游发展与经济增长开辟新路径

This mobile phone photo taken on Nov. 20, 2025 shows Berhane Tsegeyohannes from Eritrea, an art teacher at Minzu Normal University of Xingyi, painting a picture at Wanfenglin scenic area in Xingyi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Wu Si)

这张拍摄于2025年11月20日的手机照片显示，厄立特里亚人贝尔哈内·策格约哈内斯正在中国贵州省西南部兴义市的万峰林景区作画，他是兴义民族师范学院的美术教师。（新华社/吴思）

GUIYANG, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new high-speed railway connecting the cities of Xingyi and Panzhou in southwest China's Guizhou Province commenced service on Friday, ushering the mountain-ringed city of Xingyi into the era of high-speed rail and completing the province's goal of connecting all its prefectural capitals through the modern transport system.

贵阳11月28日电（新华社）——中国贵州省西南部连接兴义与盘州两市的新高铁于周五开通运营，不仅让群山环绕的兴义市迈入高铁时代，也实现了贵州省通过现代化交通系统连通所有地级市首府的目标。

The G5356 bullet train departed Xingyi South Station at 9:38 a.m. and arrived at Guiyang North Station in the provincial capital in less than two hours, marking the official launch of the Panzhou-Xingyi high-speed railway.

G5356次动车组列车于上午9时38分从兴义南站发车，历时不到两小时便抵达省会贵阳北站，这标志着盘州至兴义高铁正式开通运营。

Xingyi, capital of the Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan, is nestled in a striking karst landscape and is home to Xingyi Geopark, designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2024. The geopark's core scenic area, Wanfenglin, literally meaning "Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks," has long captivated global tourists with its vast expanse of limestone peaks rising from terraced fields and valleys.

兴义是黔西南布依族苗族自治州的首府，坐落于壮丽的喀斯特地貌间，也是2024年被联合国教科文组织认定为世界地质公园的兴义地质公园所在地。该地质公园的核心景区万峰林，字面意为“万峰之林”，其大片石灰岩山峰从梯田与山谷中拔地而起的壮阔景致，早已令全球游客为之倾倒。

However, for generations of local residents, the dramatic topography also meant limited transport access and restrained economic growth.

然而，对世居于此的当地居民来说，这片险峻的地形也曾意味着交通闭塞，经济发展受限。

The new railway links Xingyi's premier attractions, such as Wanfenglin and Malinghe Canyon, with major transport hubs, injecting new momentum into local tourism development and rural revitalization, said Xie Xuxuan, an official with the Guizhou provincial transport department.

贵州省交通运输厅官员谢旭轩表示，这条新高铁将万峰林、马岭河峡谷等兴义核心景区与主要交通枢纽相连，为当地旅游发展和乡村振兴注入了新动能。

Local businesses are already embracing the fresh opportunities. Wu Fangpei, who runs three guesthouses in the Wanfenglin area, said he plans to expand his business by opening four additional homestays now that travel to Xingyi has become faster and more convenient.

当地商户已开始把握这一新机遇。在万峰林经营着三家民宿的吴方培表示，如今前往兴义的交通变得更加快捷便利，他计划再新增四家民宿来扩大经营规模。

"Easy transport access is essential for attracting returning guests and encouraging longer stays," he said, adding that he hopes to serve as "an ambassador" who introduces tourists to Xingyi's natural beauty and culture.

便捷的交通是吸引回头客、让游客愿意多停留的关键。”同时他还希望能成为向游客推介兴义自然风光与人文风情的“使者”。

Berhane Tsegeyohannes from Eritrea, an art teacher at Minzu Normal University of Xingyi since 2024, said the new railway is vital for Xingyi's development as it will draw more tourists and artists from across the world.

2024年起在兴义民族师范学院担任美术教师的厄立特里亚人贝尔哈内·策格约哈内斯表示，这条新高铁对兴义的发展至关重要，它将吸引全球更多游客与艺术家前来。

For Tsegeyohannes, what used to be a taxing five-hour bus ride to Guiyang is now a comfortable two-hour trip, allowing him to attend exhibitions in the provincial capital and return the same day. "I even hope to create artwork inspired by the new railway line," he said.

对策格约哈内斯而言，过去前往贵阳要乘坐五小时的长途巴士，疲惫不堪，如今只需两小时的舒适高铁行程，让他能前往省会看展并当天往返。他说：“我甚至想以这条新高铁为灵感创作艺术作品。”

Construction of the Panzhou-Xingyi high-speed railway, launched in late 2021 with a total investment of 13.54 billion yuan (about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars), has encountered significant geological hurdles. Despite spanning only about 99 km, the route crosses the low to mid-altitude ranges of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with a maximum gradient of 3 percent. Bridges and tunnels account for nearly 91 percent of the line, making it one of Guizhou's most complex rail projects, according to Jiang Guoyun, general manager of Guizhou Railway Investment Group.

盘州至兴义高铁于2021年末开工建设，总投资达135.4亿元人民币（约合19亿美元），建设过程中遭遇了诸多重大地质难题。据贵州铁路投资集团总经理江国云介绍，该线路虽仅长约99公里，却穿越云贵高原低至中海拔区域，最大坡度达3%，桥隧占比近91%，是贵州省施工难度最大的铁路工程之一。

The new line adds another link to Guizhou's fast-expanding rail system, which has transformed what was once one of China's most mountainous and impoverished regions.

这条新线路为贵州快速拓展的铁路网再添一环，而贵州的铁路系统已然改变了这片曾是中国山地最多、贫困程度最深的区域之一的面貌。

With the opening of the Panzhou-Xingyi route, Guizhou has become the first provincial-level region in southwest China to achieve full high-speed rail coverage across all its prefectural capitals. Guizhou's railway network now extends 4,354 km, including 1,906 km of high-speed routes, with 17 rail corridors linking the province with neighboring regions. It is now an integral part of China's modern, extensive national high-speed rail grid.

随着盘州至兴义高铁的开通，贵州成为中国西南地区首个实现所有地级市首府通高铁的省级行政区。目前贵州铁路网总里程达4354公里，其中高铁里程1906公里，有17条铁路通道与周边地区相连，现已融入全国现代化、广覆盖的高铁网络体系。

"The opening of the Panzhou-Xingyi high-speed railway is not a finale, but a new beginning, marking a step toward Guizhou's higher-level opening-up and higher-quality development," said Huang Qiang, deputy director of the provincial transport department. "The province's position as a crucial transport hub in southwest China is now more prominent than ever."

贵州省交通运输厅副厅长黄强表示：“盘州至兴义高铁的开通并非终点，而是新的起点，标志着贵州向更高水平开放、更高质量发展又迈进一步。贵州作为中国西南地区重要交通枢纽的地位，如今愈发凸显。”

An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 2, 2025 shows a view of the Wanfenglin scenic area in Xingyi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo by Long Jianrui/Xinhua)

2025年10月2日拍摄的无人机航拍照片，展现了中国贵州省西南部兴义市万峰林景区的风貌。（摄影：龙建睿/新华社）