Briefs | Intercity railway connects Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway began its official operation on Sunday, joining the cities of Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen in a “one-hour economic circle”. Designed with a speed of 140 kilometers per hour, the route stops at a total of 15 stations in the Greater Bay Area, from Guangzhou East Railway Station to Shenzhen Bao’an Airport.  Construction of the railway began in December 2008. It spans the length of 76 kilometers and traces roughly along the east bank of the Pearl River. According to Guangzhou Daily, the new railway will operate up to 37 trains per day, with a maximum capacity of 1,400 passengers and staff.

Rare Siberian crane spotted in Guangdong

The rare Siberian crane has been spotted for the first time in Guangdong Province, according to local researchers. Locals in Xinhui district in the city of Jiangmen recently reported nine birds that have not been seen before in a local pond. Researchers later confirmed that the birds, eight adults and one baby, are Siberian cranes, a protected animal. There are only around 4,000 Siberian cranes worldwide and the species is listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The birds usually migrate during winter to Poyang Lake in east China’s Jiangxi Province. It is rare for these nine birds to fly south for another 800 kilometers to Xinhui District, said Zhang Min, an assistant researcher with the Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources.

Categories Greater Bay