Hongkongers Embrace High-Speed Rail for Mainland China Travel

Hongkonger Lam Chun and his family hopped onto a high-speed train for the first time last month for a five-day holiday in Zhangjiajie in Hunan province, finding the experience more suitable for travelling with the elderly.

The 54-year-old medical sector professional said he accomplished a mission of travelling with his 90-year-old father and 85-year-old mother, along with a domestic helper, on a sightseeing trip.

He chose Zhangjiajie because the train journey took about six hours, giving his parents a feeling of travelling “far away” from Hong Kong by their standards.

“It worked out well because I don’t think they would manage to handle the hassle of flying, and should anything unexpected happen, touch wood, they would get help sooner,” Lam said. He added that his parents had not travelled for years.

Travel agents in Hong Kong have observed strong growth in interest among residents in travelling across the border, bolstered by the expansion of direct train services from the city to mainland China destinations.

Travellers departing the West Kowloon terminus can now reach 113 mainland destinations without transfers, including the new additions of Guangzhoubei in Guangdong province, Yiwu in Zhejiang province, and Fuqingxi in Fujian province as of this month.