A Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference municipal committee member suggested that Chengdu should reduce ticket prices to local tourist attraction last month.

From the Chengdu Commercial Daily:

"I'm nearly 50 years old and a Chengdu resident and since taking my son to see Dufu's Thatched Cottage and Wuhou Temple in 1995, I've never been back. Admission to these attractions are too expensive for locals," a CPPCC member told the Chengdu Tourism Board.

Since the proclamation it's become a topic of hot debate on the Internet, with some saying that "ticket economics" keeps locals from visiting points of interest. Others chime in that any losses in profit resulting from lowering the fares will certainly be recouped by increasing numbers of visitors to the sites.

"This guy told me that he's been living in Chengdu dozens of years, but when visitors come and ask whether Jinsha Museum or Wuhou Temple are worth visiting, he doesn't know what to say!" exclaimed one of the many voices in online debates.

"I strongly support this! I've been a Chengdu resident for over 30 years!" said another who added that she had visited a few of the sites only once, when she was a child, and can no longer remember them.

"If we, as Chengdunese, haven't even been to Wuhou Temple, Dufu's Cottage, Jinsha Museum, and so forth, how can we pass on Chengdu's traditions?"

Chengdu has 27 "A-rated" tourism sites, and of those, 15 are free to visit. These include Sansheng Xiang, Luodai Old Town, Huanglong, Floraland, Ping Le Old Town, Hibiscus (Furong) Old Town, Agriculture Village, Jiezi Old Town, Lin Qiong Old Town, Peach Blossom Village, Cuihuli Village, Huilong Valley, Baita (White Pagoda) Lake, Hongshacun Flower Town, and Kuanzhai Xiangzi. Discounted fares apply to the other 12 for military personnel, senior citizens, and students.

Chengdu Government Vice Secretary and Bureau Chief of the Chengdu Tourism Board Deng Gongli said that entrance fees make up only 3 percent of total revenues generated in by tourism. He added that the gold and silver Panda Cards that were issued last year were "an exceptional measure," implemented as a means of thanking locals and visitors alike for their support during the Sichuan earthquake. "Currently, what we're discussing the most are the gold cards for foreigners in order to boost international travel to Chengdu, which will greatly help move Chengdu toward becoming an international city," he said.

But after hearing the complaints of city residents, the Chengdu Tourism Bureau is considering implementing an annual pass available to those with valid Chengdu identification cards.

A visit to the River-Viewing (Bamboo) Park in yesterday's sunshine inspired today's post. If the weather remains as unbelievably fabulous as some of the days we've seen in October, perhaps you too should don a pretty dress and big shades, pack a picnic basket and blanket, and have a day out in one of Chengdu's many public parks.

People's Park
Every Chinese city I've been to has its People's Park (as well as it's People's Road), and Chengdu is no exception. Founded in 1911 in a location as close to the center of Chengdu as any of the city's parks gets, the People's Park is as well-known as landmark as Chairman Mao overlooking Tianfu Square. Inside, the park features most of the standard park fare: cod-filled lakes (complete with pedal-boat and fishing-rod rentals), rock-lined fountains, "sugar-drawing" vendors, and a mini amusement park, but People's Park tops all that with some oddities, including an underground fun house, a house of horrors, and some weird things involving snakes we've only heard and read about.

To see: The Monument to the Martyrs of the Railway Protection Movement. Erected in 1913, the monument once towered over most of the city. Now eclipsed by Chengdu's ever-growing skyline, the monument still stands in honor of those who struggled against corruption during the building of a local railway.

River-Viewing Park
This park is an amazingly lush, green space smack dab in one of the city's most urban corners. Bordered by the Jinjiang (river) on one side and Sichuan University on the other, some of the city's main thoroughfares as well as the disco strip of Jiuyan Qiao are a stone's throw from the park's gates. Amazingly, the space inside is somehow shielded from all that city noise, and the only sounds you'll hear in the park's perimeters emanate from within: chattering of tea-drinkers, shouts of children playing at the mini amusement park, the techno beat of the dancing ladies, and the officially sanctioned music being played over the park's loudspeakers, disguised as rocks hiding in foliage. (Yesterday's choice was the Jackson Five's version of "I'll Be there.") Boats are also available for rent, although unlike at most of the parks, you'll have to row them with tiny oars instead of speeding your way through the waterways in a pedal boat.

A visit to the River-Viewing Park is also a lesson in botany, explaining why it's sometimes referred to as the "Bamboo Park" in English: Over 150 species of bamboo grow in the park, all labeled with their amazingly long scientific names as well as their typically two to four-character Chinese names.

To see: The "River Viewing Pavilion" (望江楼 or wangjianglou), dedicated to a bamboo-loving Tang-dynasty poetess, which lies beyond the toll booth in a corner of the park. The toll is 20 RMB.

Tazishan Park
Tazishan, hiding in the city's southeast corner near the Wugui Qiao bus station, holds one of the biggest of the city's mini amusement parks. This park within the park comprises a Ferris wheel, carousel, bumper cars, 4D movie theater, mini rock wall, human-sized hamster balls, ice-sculpture room, and even an aviary. The only problem, as with most of the mini amusement parks, is that nobody is riding any of the rides. According to CHENGDOO citylife,


If the signs are worth believing, you're also free to set up your tent and camp out in certain designated areas of the park.

To see: The "Nine Heavens" Pagoda (九天楼), a 13-story, 70-meter-high pagoda whose majestic stature and classy architecture juxtaposes magnificently with the whole heck of a lot of gaudiness that surrounds it.

Yong's Mausoleum Park
Opened this past October festival, this is Chengdu's newest park and is also touted as the largest open-air green space within the Second Ring Road. Paths wind around lots of greenery, trees, and lawn, which visitors are urged not to walk on. This would all be very nice were it not for the ongoing construction on surrounding residential complexes that virtually guarantees the buzzing of chainsaws and pounding of jackhammers to disrupt the park's otherwise peaceful ambience.

To see: The Tomb of Wang Jian, the ornate burial place of one of Chengdu's feudal kings. Entrance to view the tomb is 20 RMB or free through the end of the year with a Golden Panda Card.

Huanhuaxi Park
Huanhuaxi are the grounds surrounding Dufu's Thatched Cottage and the newly opened Sichuan Museum. The park was, until recently, the largest of Chengdu's urban parks, but that claim was recently stolen by the Yong's Mausoleum Park (above). A legend about a young girl washing clothing in the river surrounds the area, but really, if you're in the area, you're more likely to be paying a visit to the cultural venues nearby, including museums and art galleries cropping up in recent years.

Culture Park
Quieter and smaller than some of the other parks, the bridges and streams running around and through this park make it a nice area for a stroll if you're walking around Qintai Lu. Ladies dancing with fans often rehearse in the evenings in the park.

More information
Most of the city's parks host special events and performances during the holidays, including Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, National Holiday, and so forth.

Chengdu has plenty of parks that we didn't mention: Xinhua, Baihuatan, Beihu, and many others in the suburbs of the city. On a sunny day, what's your favorite park or outdoor space in Chengdu?

Photos of Tazishan Park by Julien Riddeler.

Did you know Chengdu is surrounded by snow-capped mountains? You might know it to be true, but you might have never seen it with your own eyes. And seeing is believing, or so they say.

Chengdu resident and GoChengdoo reader David DuByne sent in this photograph along with the following text:


As we noted on Monday, 68,000 people left Chengdu via long-distance passenger bus Sunday alone. That figure paled in comparison to the estimated 500,000 Chengdu city residents who went out of town on Thursday, according to figures from Chengdu's transportation department.

On Saturday night, Chengdu residents were also treated to a rare clear view of a very bright full moon, just in time for the Mid-Autumn (or "moon-viewing") festival.

If you've caught something special with your camera that you'd like to share with GoChengdoo readers, send it to us!

Headlines

Today marks the annual World Carfree Day. Chengdu, which hosted the country's first observance of the event in 2001, put into place traffic controls in certain areas, including around Tianfu Square. But in direct opposition to that was the Friday opening of Chengdu's 12th International Motor Show, displaying over 500 models of domestic and international luxury vehicles. Chengdu's auto market has grown by 20 percent annually, and with now over 2 million private vehicles on its streets, the city sits behind only Beijing and Shanghai in terms of automobile-ownership rates.
China News and China Daily

Nine were killed, four seriously injured, and another 91 hospitalized after a bombing Tuesday night in residential area in Yibin's Cuiping District. No reports have been made of arrests, and investigators are looking into the exact cause of the explosion.
Sichuan Online

And also in Yibin, four children were injured when a grenade they were playing with exploded on Wednesday in Guanghui Village, Pingshan County. Three of the four sustained serious injuries, and the last was lightly wounded. The police are investigating this case.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit the border of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces Saturday afternoon at 4:54 p.m. In Sichuan, Qingchuan County was rocked. So far there have been no reports of casualties.
China Daily

A 13-year-old boy in Huisuo Gardens in Chengdu's Wuhou District was injured Thursday morning after the elevator he was in fell from the 11th to the 10th floor. The patient underwent a splenectomy as a result. He stated that a power failure might have caused the accident.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Ramp-up to National Day
Luzhou gymnast and three-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Kai (邹凯) won Sichuan's first medal of 11th National Games of China Sunday night. Zou received the medal for his performance in the individual floor exercise. Since then, Sichuan has pulled in another 22 medals, 9 of which are gold, bringing the province into the eighth position in the medal counts.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Foreigners will be banned from traveling to Tibet, starting September 24 and effective through October 8, according to various travel agencies.
AFP

You might have noticed national flags waving from nearly every building throughout the city. The decorating started this week, and everyone's getting into the spirit, including the owner of a historic, 1970s-era Hongqi which made an attention-grabbing appearance on Thursday so that its owner could buy it some flags. Hongqi (红旗) is the luxury-car series of China's First Automobile Works Group, Co.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Construction and Development
Southwest China's first high-speed trains (Hexiehao 和谐号) will make their inaugural run on Monday. Traveling up to 200 kilometers per hour, they will cut the trip between Chengdu and Chongqing to a mere 119 minutes. Seven trains will depart daily from each location between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; tickets start at 98 RMB.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

With next year's planned makeover of the North Railway Station, Renmin Bei Lu will be extended past the Third Ring Road to Beixin Gandao (北新干道). The new kilometer-length section of Renmin Bei Lu will dip underground from the First Ring Road through the current North Railway Station.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Yulin Xi Jie is undergoing renovation. By the end of the month, it will have new granite tiling and will be lined with flower boxes and benches.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Society and Culture
Want to win 10,000 RMB? From next month, diners and other customers in Chengdu will receive a new kind of receipt that offers them the chance to win cash prizes. Customers are urged to request receipts for all transactions to help encourage accurate financial reporting among local businesses.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Across the nation, a record 410,000 future lawyers and judges sat for the two-day national judicial exam last weekend. In Chengdu, the exam was held at the Vocational and Technical College, where administrators utilized electric sensors to ensure takers did not use electronic assistance on the exam.
China Daily

Five Jiange county officials have been removed from their posts for gambling—by playing mahjong—while on duty. They were caught at a teahouse on September 9 with more than RMB120,000 at stake. Officials are expressly prohibited from playing mahjong while on duty or gambling with it in public. Nonetheless, a handful of Sichuanese officials have been fired for the offense over the past few years.
China Daily

Provincewide, 17 government officials—among them, party and public security chiefs—have been found to have ties to criminal gangs since 2006. In Le Shan a pair of officials took a total of 472,000 RMB in bribes to cover up a criminal gang's murder. And in Yuanyang town, another pair took bribes to protect illegal gold miners. The latter pair have been sentenced to prison. Sichuan police launched a crackdown on gang activity in 2006 and have since caught 832 individuals and confiscated 150 million RMB.
China Daily

Did you hear the sirens on Friday afternoon? Every September 19, Chengdu joins other cities across the nation in sounding air-raid alarms in observance of the anniversary of the pre-World War II Mukden Incident, in which the Japanese invaded Manchuria and began their occupation of China. The sounding of the sirens also serves as an exercise of the Air Defense Warning System.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

On Friday, Jianyang citizen Huang Renyi (黄仁义), who has crossed China three times by bike, made a 500-kilometer cycling journey in 22 hours and 54 minutes, successfully breaking his previous record of 24 hours.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Chengdu artist Xu Liaoyuan's furniture exhibition opened Sunday at his private gallery, the XLY MOMA in San Shengxiang. The luxury furniture will be sold during the exhibition, with one piece costing as much as 2 million RMB.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Since the launch of this year's "09 'Ice' Breaker" operation, authorities have discovered 2429 cases of people manufacturing, selling, or in possession of so-called "new drugs," including 155 kg of methamphetamines, .36 kg of ecstasy, and 72.92 kg of ketamine. To date, drug use has been reported in each of Sichuan's 21 cities and prefectures, and 36 manufacturing sites have been shut down, and 797.2 kg of raw materials seized.
Sichuan Online

Odd news
Road workers in Baoxiang spotted a young panda trapped on a hill last Saturday and lent the national treasure a helping hand. One worker was injured during the rescue, but told media, "I don't care much for the injury. It's worth saving a panda."
China Daily

Since last Monday, thousands of fishing enthusiasts in Langzhong's Nanbu County have been rushing to the Jialing River after 50,000 kilograms of catfish escaped from their cages. And Nanbu County's entire stock of bait has reportedly been sold out.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

Residents of Huahaoyuan Compound block 5 near Shuangxing Dadao heard a loud bang early Friday morning. It turned out the noise was caused by an exploding toilet. (Yum.) The shock damaged washrooms in several flats, and investigators determined the explosion was due to one of the residents' illegal storage of chemicals in the building.
Chengdu Commercial Daily

—Researched by Marvin Tan

With "Chinese Valentine's Day" in the air, here comes the story of "The Most Handsome Trash-digger." The story, widely reproduced on Chinese websites, seems to have been first published in the Chengdu Shangbao. Our rough translation is below:

"The most handsome trash-digger seems as cool as a movie star; by scavenging, he's been able to travel to over 10 cities"

With an elegant way of speaking, standing around 1.8 meters tall, a figure resembling that of movie star Tong Chun-Chung (汤镇宗) ...

Recently, the area around Moziqiao at Shenxianshu has been haunted by a young trash-picker, attracting a lot of double-takes from passersby. After his photo appeared on online discussion forums, netizens bestowed upon him an unparalleled nickname: "The Most Handsome Scavenger of All Time."

After some minor setbacks, this reporter finally tracked down this handsome "post-80s" master of the bin. By this time, he had already traveled to more than 10 cities all over the country, just by scavenging recyclables out of the trash. He deftly collects bottles and scraps and when he amasses some money he'll go off to another city for more travels.

Posted online, his photo calls for close scrutiny

"This person is often around Shenxiansu, with an air of refinement, big eyes, hair in tight curls, quite handsome...," "From the back he looks like Tony Leung, from the side he looks like Hu Jun, from the front he looks like Tong Chun-Chung." On August 20, a post titled "The Most Handsome Trash-Picker of All Time" appeared on the Tianya Chengdu forums. The poster, "Qing Qian," related that on the street he had seen a handsome trash digger and used his mobile phone to take two photos of the scavenger. The post immediately caused a stir among netizens: "He's even wearing gloves, how professional!" "Hello! Handsome!" and even that classic line from Stephen Chow's movie was used by netizens to describe his appearance: "A man man like you, just like fireflies in the dark, as bright as that, as numerous as that, you with your eyes so sullen, with the air of one breath you betray yourself."

One moment, the netizens were discussing the authenticity of the post; the next, they were commenting on the identity of the trash-digger. Some believed this "handsome brother" is really living life, others believe it's completely disgusting, but most said that if this person is really a scavenger depending on his own two hands to make money, he can't be faulted. "Labor is honorable, just because one is handsome he cannot scavenge?!"

His life: walking and scavenging is OK"

Right around the same time the "Most Handsome Trash-Picker of All Time" post exploded, coincidentally a woman in the city had announced to this reporter that she too had spotted a "handsome and elegant trash digger" on the street. The morning before yesterday, with the woman leading the way to Mozi Qiao, this reporter finally spotted this handsome trash picker. Height, about 1.8 meters, wearing a khaki fisherman's hat, grey short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of ankle-length trousers he cut himself. At this moment, his hands covered in white gloves, he was picking empty bottles out of a trash bin. Occasionally, when a piece of trash would fall outside the bin, he would bend over and return it to the bin. The brim of his hat was angled low, at the moment he straightened back up his face was revealed and the reporter couldn't help but exclaim, "He really looks like Tong Chun-Chung!"

As far as the reporter's visit, the young man seemed completely caught off guard, his clean face instantly turning red. He said, my family name is Liu, I'm from Ningxia, and I was born in 1984. When he heard that netizens had dubbed him "The Most Handsome Trash Digger of All Time," he said with a smile, "People have told me I'm good-looking, but I'm just a trash digger, how embarrassing!" Liu said he depends on his own two hands to make a living, he does what he wants to do, it's a lot better than depending on his family.

Li said his mother has passed away and his father and younger brother tend to the family farm. After finishing middle school, he started venturing from home. At that time his dream was "to see and walk in every place in the country." Two years before, he arrived in the famous "land of abundance" Chengdu, sat in teahouses, strolled on Chunxi Lu, and fully enjoyed the slow-paced lifestyle. But he's still never told his relatives that he's digging through rubbish bins. "Actually, I could look for work, but I quite like this kind of wandering lifestyle, I don't think it's so difficult!"

Every day, Liu spends most of his time walking the streets, from 8 in the morning until 10 at night, from Yihuan Lu to the south of the city, learning which bottles and recyclable scraps to pick out of the trash bins along the side of the road, eating the cheapest food he can find for his three meals. Picking up bottles, Liu wears headphones so he can listen to news and music on the radio, and sometimes he goes to watch the Xinhua broadcasts on the big screen on Zongfu Lu's Shudu Tower.

His path, traveling by scavenging

The market price of an old crumpled bottle is about the same everywhere, usually not more than 2 kuai. Yet by picking up these crumpled bottles one by one, Liu has already been to more than 10 of the country's cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Accompanying him on his travels are some of his most treasured possessions: a train or bus ticket from each city he's been to. The next destination Liu has set his eye on is the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau; to get there, he plans to save up 10,000 kuai in Chengdu, bottle by bottle. When he's saved enough to buy some simple equipment to prepare for his trip, he'll set off, "I'm not far from my goal."

Liu's biggest dream is to go to Hong Kong to see the nightlife. "A few years ago, when I was picking up bottles in Shenzhen, I went to the port of Luohu just to gaze across the bay at Hong Kong. Looking at it only made me yearn for it; I hope to get there one day when I've saved enough money." Liu said if he starts to dread this kind of lifestyle, he'll stop, and try out the lifestyle of the rest of the post-80s generation.

Those who know him said with some envy that the fact that he's so good-looking might have to do with the fact that people sometimes stop Liu on the street to offer him some money, but this upright young man always declines. In the eyes of the other scavengers, Liu is not the same, he just likes this kind of lifestyle. They said, Liu is very concerned with his personal hygiene and spends some time every day to wash his hair and clean his fingernails. "Although his face he's a rubbish picker, he doesn't litter."

Results of Chengdu QQ's online poll (as of August 26, 2009)

Do you approve of this kind of traveling and scavenging lifestyle?
I approve. Unrestrained freedom (24.55%)
I disagree. What a waste of ability and social resources (2.53%)
I understand, after all, everyone has his/her own way of living (66.79%)
What a lot of fuss about nothing (6.14%)

The story is attributed to reporter Li Tianxiao and trainee Wei Hui.
Image: Chengdu QQ

Passengers can now travel between Chengdu and Chongqing in an unprecedented two hours and 41 minutes.

The new bullet trains, "Harmony" (和谐), travel at speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour.

Until the first of this month, the fastest trains made the 368-kilometer trip in approximately three-and-a-half hours. That travel time was a massive improvement over the nine-hour journey that traveling between the two cities by train was just several years ago.

Once the ongoing high-speed rail network is completed, travel time between the two cities will be shortened to a reported one hour, with trains traveling up to 350 kilometers per hour on two tracks.

The trains depart from Chengdu's north train station and arrive in Chongqing's north station three times daily. Several three-and-a-half-hour trains still run as well. A one-way soft-seat ticket is under RMB100.

For a full schedule of Chengdu-Chongqing trains, see the current issue of CHENGDOO citylife Magazine or click here.

To boost its tourism industry, the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau has issued 20 million Panda Cards (熊猫卡) to allow tourists free or discounted entrance to 11 state-owned sites in the province, including Xiling Snow Mountain, the Giant Panda Research Base, Jinsha Museum, and Wuhou Temple.

The cards are categorized as "golden" (金) and "silver" (银). Golden cards are issued to non-Sichuanese (including foreign nationals) and allow card holders to enter the sites completely free of charge. Silver top-up cards are for Sichuanese and allow discounted entrance rates at the sites. Both cards are valid through December 31, 2009.

Each time the card is swiped, points will accumulate on the card, which will entitle the cardholder to further discounts at various member companies of the Chengdu Best Tourism groups.

Golden Panda Cards can be obtained at several locations within Chengdu as well as various travel-industry points in cities across China.

Those wishing to purchase a card must present a valid ID (passport for foreign nationals) and pay the RMB1 fee.

Once the card has been purchased, it must be activated prior to use. Chinese nationals can activate the Panda Card online. Foreigners must activate it by telephone or e-mail.

To activate the card by telephone, call the number on the back of the card (400-702-5888). You'll need to tell the call-center staff the card number listed on the front of the card, your first and last name as it appears on your passport, your passport number, your gender, and nationality. Our representative told us that the hotline has English-speaking service.

To activate it by e-mail, send an e-mail to 2008pandahome@ 163.com with the Panda Card number, your name, gender, passport number, nationality, phone number, and e-mail address. You should receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours.

In order to enter the sites with the card, a valid ID must be shown.

Sites Golden Panda Card holders can enter for free through December 31, 2009
Tiantai Shan 天台山
Dujiangyan 都江堰
Qingcheng Shan 青城山
Liu's Manor 刘氏庄园
Xiling Snow Mountain 西岭雪山前山
Xiling Snow Mountain Ski Area 西岭雪山滑雪场
Giant Panda Research Base 熊猫基地
Wuhou Temple 武侯祠
Jinsha Museum 金沙遗址博物馆
Dufu's Cottage 杜甫草堂
Yong's Mausoleum 永陵博物馆

Panda Card purchasing points
(9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5:30 p.m.)

EDIT (8/17/09): Golden Panda Cards are now being issued at Dave's Oasis.

Panda Card Distribution Center at the Chengdu Industrial Civilization Museum
建设南路1号成都工业文明博物馆熊猫卡发行中心

Chengdu High-Speed Bldg. Lobby, 1st Fl.
30 Ximianqiao Jie
洗面桥街30号成都高速大厦A座一楼大厅

Wenliu Marketing Company (Silver Cards only)
6 Jing Xiangzi, Weidian Snack City, Kuan Zhai Xiangzi Historic Preservation Area
宽窄巷子历史文化保护区井巷子6号味典小吃城

Tiandi Jixiang Theater (Gold Cards only)
3 Renmin Bei Lu Sect. 2 (near the North Train Station)
人民北路2段3号天地吉祥大剧院内（火车北站附近）

Shuangliu Airport Travel Help Center (Gold Cards only)
(behind the first-floor baggage-claim port)
双流机场空港旅游咨询中心（机场内抵港后一楼行李领取处)

Select Hongqi Supermarkets (Gold Cards only)
红旗连锁部分门店
See here for complete list of Hongqi locations (linked page is in Chinese)

In a bid to promote Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu province, to China's northwest as Chengdu is to the country's southwest, the central government is investing RMB160 billion to lay 5,700 kilometers of railway across the province, reported the China Daily.

The track will connect 14 of Gansu's major cities, including southern Gansu's Gannan, which currently is inaccessible via air or rail. These 14 cities will be linked via Lanzhou to the country's western provinces, including Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Qinghai, and Sichuan.

Trains on the railways will travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, and the Ministry of Railways expect they will carry a quarter million passengers annually, many likely to be tourists. The railway will also be an important piece of infrastructure for the transportation of goods into regions that have traditionally been considered remote.

Authorities are touting it as significant to the region's economic and social development as the Qinghai-Tibet railway has been to that region.

The line will also pass by Sichuan's Minshan Mountains and Jiuzhaigou.

Construction began last year, and is expected to continue through 2015.