CHANGCHUN -- A new high-speed rail link began operation on Sunday, significantly shortening the travel time from Beijing to the renowned Changbai Mountain in the northeastern province of Jilin, offering a boost to China's growing winter sports and ice tourism market.

The Shenyang-Baihe section of the Shenyang-Jiamusi High-Speed Railway, with a design speed of 350 km per hour, officially commenced service on Sunday.

The new line cuts the journey from Beijing to the Changbai Mountain area, a popular winter destination with several top-notch ski resorts, to just 4 hours and 33 minutes, saving about one and a half hours.

Catering to the needs of the tourists, the trains feature extra space between the seats to accommodate bulky ski equipment. Carriages are equipped with an intelligent temperature control system to minimize discomfort from drastic indoor-outdoor temperature swings. Stations along the route offer integrated tourism service counters for one-stop bookings to the Changbai Mountain scenic area and self-drive tours.

As the rail route traverses the heart of the Changbai Mountain area, 77 percent of the track is laid in the form of bridges or tunnels. Builders overcame the challenges of extreme cold temperatures and complex geology using domestically developed installation equipment and cold-resistant materials. They also prioritized ecological conservation by erecting bridges to avoid core habitats for wildlife such as the Siberian tiger and Chinese yew.

Jilin, situated between 40 and 50 degrees north latitude, is renowned for its natural, powdery snow. With 68 ski resorts and 361 ski trails spanning 1,414 hectares and stretching for 398 kilometers, Jilin's ice-and-snow infrastructure caters to skiers of all levels. From November 2024 to March 2025, Jilin welcomed 170 million domestic tourists, a 35 percent increase year on year.