A staff member, dressed in traditional costume, greets passengers of the train G828 bound for Hong Kong, at Xi'an North Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 5, 2025. A direct high-speed train route was launched on Sunday between Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

　　A single trip in either direction takes less than 11 hours. Along the direct route, there are stations in the provinces of Shaanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Guangdong. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)