The first panda-themed tourist train connecting Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province and Chengdu City in southwest China's Sichuan Province was launched on Friday.
The train was decorated with features of Chengdu, such as pandas and popular sceneries.
With this train, the journey between the two major cities only takes about 11 hours.
"In the past, I used to drive about 20 hours to my hometown for Spring Festival reunion. Now, by taking the train, I will be home for a little over 10 hours," said a passenger.
According to data, Chengdu is not only one of the top choices for foreign visitors, but also a very popular travelling destination among domestic tourists.
Plenty of travelers want to spend their Spring Festival holiday in Chengdu.
"We originally bought flight tickets. But after knowing the train was about to launch, we chose to take the train. Therefore, we bought the train tickets and cancelled our flights. It will arrive in Chengdu after one-night sleep, so it's really suitable for the kids. It's really convenient," said a tourist.
Panda-themed tourist train launched between Shenzhen, Chengdu
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
