"The Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway will connect the three cities in which I spend most of my time," said Man Zi, a 25-year-old dance teacher, who moved from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, nine years ago and now runs a dance club in Guangdong province. To improve her dancing skills, Man has tuition from teachers in a number of cities, with Guangzhou, Wuhan and Beijing accounting for the lion's share of her trips.

Most of her previous trips between the three cities were by air. "Now, I have a new option," she said. "But the price decides my choice of travel mode. If the railway costs much the same as an air ticket, I will travel by plane."

More than 90 percent of Wuhan residents who use the high-speed train choose second-class seats, because they are cheaper, and approximately 80 percent of journeys were undertaken for business or to visit friends and relatives, according to a survey conducted by the local newspaper earlier this month.

The new rail link, connecting travelers from both north and south China, is likely to provide a boost for Wuhan's tourist agencies, Famous for its large number of Sakura trees, the oriental cherry that is the national flower of Japan, Wuhan University had more than 1 million visitors last year, and more are expected to arrive in 2013 because of the high-speed train.

- Yang Wanli