High-speed rail to spur ski tourism  

哈大高铁开通在即 催热东北冰雪温泉游

27日中午，沈阳某建筑设计公司白领宋书宇和他的4个朋友利用午休时间，来到沈阳火车站售票处购买哈尔滨至大连高速铁路预售票。他们计划乘坐将于12月1日正式开通运营的哈大高铁去哈尔滨游玩。

Shenyang (CNS) -- Skiing enthusiasts are already gearing up for weekends on the slopes in Harbin now that the Harbin-Dalian high-speed rail is set to open on December 1.

"We used to drive to Harbin, but it took about eight hours," said Song Shuyu, who was at Liaoning's Shenyang Railway Station on Tuesday to buy tickets. "Now it will take less than three hours to get there by rail."

The Harbin-Dalian high-speed rail is the country's first line through freezing high-latitude regions. With speeds of up to 350 km per hour, the 921-kilometer line will travel through the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, a journey that will take about four hours.

"The high-speed rail makes it possible to take a one-day trip to Harbin from Liaoning and Jilin," said Zhang Jie, head of the Liaoning Branch of China Comfort. "White-collar workers can now spend a weekend in Harbin for skiing."