Train services between Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station and the mainland have expanded as of Wednesday, with the number of direct destinations increasing from 100 to 103.
Hong Kong West Kowloon Station on Wednesday launched direct train services to Guangzhou North Railway Station in south China's Guangdong Province, Yiwu Railway Station in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Fuqing West Railway Station in east China's Fujian Province for the first time.
Effective July 1, China's new railway timetable includes a stop in Yiwu City, home to the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities, for the G896/G895 high-speed sleeper train between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
At 20:00 on Wednesday, the G896 high-speed rail sleeper train departed punctually from Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station.
This Hong Kong-Shanghai high-speed sleeper train offers a convenient "evening departure, morning arrival" experience.
Besides the direct train to Yiwu, the inaugural G6080 service from the West Kowloon Station to Guangzhou North Railway Station arrived at its destination at 09:24 on Wednesday.
In the past, passengers traveling from Hong Kong to northern Guangdong had to first go to Guangzhou South Railway Station and then transfer to other modes of transportation, making the total journey over two hours. Now, with the direct route to Guangzhou North Railway Station, the trip takes just one hour and 17 minutes.
"I'm going on a business trip to Conghua or Huadu (district) in Guangzhou. So if I'm heading to Guangzhou North Railway Station, this might be a bit more convenient," said Fu, a tourist from Hong Kong.
In addition, the G924 high-speed train arrived at Fuqing West Railway Station at 13:53 on Wednesday after departing from West Kowloon Station.
The West Kowloon Station connects Hong Kong with 113 stations in 19 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station adds three new mainland routes to enhance cross-border services
A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday called on Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to remove restrictions on travel by mainland residents to Taiwan at an early date.
At a press briefing in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, slammed the DPP's political manipulation in response to the Taiwan authorities' decision to reject applications from tourism operators in Shanghai Municipality and Fujian Province to conduct preparatory visits to Taiwan. The decision has drawn criticism from tourism operators and industry groups on the island.
"Promoting the resumption of travel by residents of Shanghai and Fujian to Taiwan is a positive step that aligns with mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and will help promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. Preparatory visits are a routine industry practice to coordinate accommodation, tourist sites and reception arrangements, which are purely private, business-related exchange. However, the DPP authorities unilaterally demanded prior consultations through tourism bodies as a prerequisite and rejected the applications for preparatory visits to the island," Zhu said.
"Such a move is typical political manipulation and the creation of artificial barriers. The industry's call for less political manipulation and prioritizing tourism fully reflects the industry's dissatisfaction and opposition to the DPP authorities' deliberate politicization of cross-strait tourism and their disregard for the survival difficulties of tourism operators on the island and the livelihood demands of ordinary people," she said.
"We have upheld the vision that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family, promoted the resumption of travel by mainland residents to Taiwan and continued to extend goodwill. Since 2024, travel by residents of Fujian and Shanghai to Kinmen and Matsu has been restored," said the spokeswoman.
"If the DPP authorities truly care about the livelihoods of those in the tourism sector, they should lift the restrictions on mainland residents traveling to Taiwan at an early date," Zhu said.
Chinese mainland urges DPP authorities to lift travel restrictions on mainland residents
