China has introduced a new high-speed train line that stretches along the southeastern coast, connecting three cities in Fujian province: Zhangzhou, Xiamen, and Fuzhou.
This train can go really fast, reaching speeds of up to 350 kilometers (217 miles) per hour.
On September 28th, the first train on this line started its journey from Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, at 9:15 a.m.
What’s unique about this train line is that it travels over the sea, making it China’s first overwater high-speed train.
This special railway has 84 bridges, 29 tunnels, and even 20 kilometers (12 miles) of track that run over the water.
China Railway, the state-owned company that manages the railways, used clever robots and eco-friendly steel to build these sections over the sea.
The Chinese government has been working on various big projects like this.
In 2016, they announced the “Eight Horizontal and Eight Vertical” rail initiative to improve transportation.
Fujian province, where this new train line is located, has tricky terrain with lots of mountains, which makes travel difficult.
Fujian province is also important because it’s very close to Taiwan, a self-governing island.
Xiamen, one of the cities connected by this new train, is just 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) away from Taiwan’s Kinmen region, separated by the Taiwan Strait.
Even though Taiwan governs itself, China’s Communist Party still considers it part of their territory, even though they’ve never controlled it.
Recently, the Communist Party made a statement about improving connections between Fujian and Taiwan.
Some people in Kinmen even suggested building a bridge to symbolize peace between Taiwan and China, but this idea is quite controversial.
It would create a sort of neutral zone between the two regions.