NANCHANG — A high-speed railway opened on Dec 26 threading Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi province, Jinggangshan, the "cradle of the Chinese revolution," and China's rare earth base of Ganzhou.

The high-speed railway with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour shortens the former train trip of more than 4 hours to less than 2 hours on the 418-km line.

The railway is connected with both China's vertical artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway and the horizontal artery of the Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway.

Jinggangshan has become a famous tourist destination for visitors from home and abroad, which boasts both pristine natural scenery and the cultural heritage of the revolution.

The first railway was laid to the city in 2006, and in May 2004, the Jinggangshan Airport opened, injecting great vitality into the mountainous area.

"The opening of the high-speed railway service has further accelerated the development of the old revolutionary base," said Chen Shenghua, professor at the China Executive Leadership Academy Jinggangshan.

An economic development zone has been planned near the Ji'an West Railway Station in Jinggangshan, which has a planned area of 7.6 square km.

Xiao Xin, chairman of Ji'an City Investment Holding Group Co Ltd, said the development zone with an investment of more than 15 billion yuan (around $2.14 billion) will feature exhibitions and tourism.

"The high-speed railway has opened up a new channel for Jinggangshan. Many enterprises from the coastal provinces are eyeing the mountain tourist resources in the area," said Xiao.