This new line ended the history of Hengshui having no high-speed trains directly running to Beijing. Thanks in part to the new rail line and local promotions, 32 A-level scenic spots across Hengshui received 715,000 visitors during the holiday, soaring 202.84 percent year on year.

　　"Cities are much closer now, not just on the map but in everyday life," said Qu Xiaoyuan, an Ankang cultural and tourism official. His brother, who works in Xi'an, called him the day the Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway opened, joking that he could dash to Ankang for a nice meal at home and still be back in Xi'an that night.

　　The line has cut travel time between the two cities from three hours to as short as 45 minutes. Ankang, a mountainous city in southern Shaanxi, is rich in ecological resources, and the new railway has taken a growing number of holiday travelers to its forests and rivers.

　　Ankang West Station, a new station built for the high-speed line, handled 50,800 outgoing passengers during the holiday, which was more than expected. The city also launched shuttle services linking the station with major scenic spots, where visits rose over 40 percent year on year.

　　As these new lines draw passengers from a wider area, weekend and short-holiday tourists may increase significantly, driving demand for multi-purpose and experience-oriented tourism products, Qu said.

　　Further east, the Yichang-Xingshan line brings destinations like southwest China's Chongqing and central China's Wuhan and Zhengzhou within two hours of Xingshan, weaving the Three Gorges, dense forests and cloud-shrouded peaks scattered along the route into easy, spontaneous trips.

　　Xingshan Station handled 14,216 outgoing passengers during the seven-day holiday, up 54.61 percent year on year. Local businesses in the city used high-speed rail tickets to link hotel discounts and reduce or scrap scenic spot admission fees.