Train service offers easier access to Great Wall

People planning trips to Beijing will be interested to hear of a new rail service that offers quicker transit between the city and the Great Wall of China.

The so-called Great Wall Express enables visitors to travel from Beijing to Badaling – the 10km section of the wall that is open to tourists – in one hour, half the duration of the usual journey, reports Reuters.

As well as providing a shorter trip to the famous attraction, the rail link also means that tourists can avoid the traffic that regularly builds up on the return trip to the city.

Zhou Zhengyu, vice head of the Beijing municipal committee of communication, told the news agency: "You look at Europe, for example Switzerland, they have their own famous sightseeing trains.

"We want to make this into Beijing's own tourist train."

The rail connection was reportedly opened after just four weeks' work as the government hurried to renovate an existing line and improve stations along the route in time for the Olympics.

China's Great Wall is recognised as one of the wonders of the modern world and is visited by around ten million tourists every year.

Posted by Mike, 12 August 2008 16:33

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