Construction begins on maglev line for tourist town in Central China

CHANGSHA -- Construction has begun on a maglev line for a tourist attraction in Central China's Hunan province.

Workers broke ground on the project in Fenghuang, a renowned tourist town. The 9.121-km-long line drew an investment of about 1.1 billion yuan ($157 million), with a designed maximum speed of 100 km per hour. It will have six stations.

The project will be operational at the end of June 2021, when a high-speed train project in Hunan will also start operation. Passengers can transfer to the maglev train to reach the tourist town after getting off the high-speed trains.

Meaning phoenix in Chinese, Fenghuang is known for its well-preserved architecture and traditional river town scenes. Over the years, it has developed into a popular tourist destination with hundreds of hotels and guest houses.