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High-speed railways boost China’s tourism

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By Zhao Shan
Bullet trains are once again driving an upsurge in China’s tourism industry as a number of new high-speed railways have been put into operation this summer and further shortened the travel time between cities.
According to the recent half-month booking statistics released by Chinese leading online leisure travel company Tuniu, the number of tourists taking high-speed railway as the major means of transportation surged by 132 percent from a month ago. The search volume for high-speed train tours more than tripled on another online travel platform Mafengwo.
Online travel agency Tongcheng recorded an 80-percent monthly rise in the booking volume of high-speed train tour packages in June, and over half of the agency’s customers said high-speed trains were a prioritized choice for them and high-speed train tours would embrace faster growth.
A high-speed railway linking Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province and southwest China’s Chongqing municipality was opened in late June, shortening the trip between the two cities from eight hours to four.
The line connects the southwestern, central and northern regions of China and crosses a number of tourist attractions, including the Shaolin Temple and Wuhou Memorial Temple in Henan, the current location of Three Kingdoms-era (220-280 AD) strategist Zhuge Liang’s hometown Longzhong and the Shennongjia National Park in central China’s Hubei province, as well as the Small Three Gorges scenic area and Ciqikou ancient town in Chongqing.
Chongqing’s Wushan county, which sits along the high-speed railway, reported over 2.1 million tourist arrivals in just half a month after the railway was put into operation, up 49.7 percent year on year.
Spur-of-the-moment trips or mini-breaks on weekends or holidays are popular among Chinese tourists nowadays, and high-speed railways have contributed a lot to this trend. Bullet trains, which are convenient and comfortable, provide people an opportunity to go on an in-depth exploration of their destinations in a short journey time.
Recently, the world’s first railway loop circling a desert was formally put into operation in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Stretching eastward from Hotan city to Ruoqiang county along the southern edge of the Taklimakan, the world’s second-largest shifting-sand desert, the railway is an artery of China’s western railway network, an important part of Xinjiang railways, and a fast channel linking southern Xinjiang and other parts of China.
It is a historic railway for many counties in the region to end their history of no train access. It carries passengers to cross the Taklimakan and tour the ruins of ancient Niya city and other places that were once unreachable in the past. The bookings of related train tours have been surging recently, according to Tuniu.
Feng Rao, head of Mafengwo’s tourism research institute, told People’s Daily that the constantly improved high-speed railway network in China has significantly reduced travel time and thus expanded tourists’ radius of trips.
It not only brings more possibilities for short-distance travel, but also will tremendously promote the tourism industry in regions along the railways, Feng added.
High-speed railways, vitalizing both inter-provincial and short-distance travels, have become a driving force for tourism development. Many tourist destinations along high-speed railways have rolled out measures to stimulate tourism.
In Hubei and Chongqing, high-speed train passengers can get free tickets or a 50-percent discount on tickets for multiple famous scenic spots; the ancient city of Xiangyang in Hubei unveiled night economy-themed tourist routes to attract visitors; culture and tourism departments in east China’s Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, as well as Shanghai jointly released a list of tourism destinations along the high-speed railways in the Yangtze River Delta region.

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Kwara: Security Team Kills Two Bandits, Rescues Two Kidnap Victims

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A security team, comprising operatives of DSS and forest guards, has rescued two victims of abduction in a forest between Oba Isin/Owa Onire area of isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State.

The rescued victims are 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and Ibrahim Azeez who is five-year old.

The team also eliminated two armed bandits, while others escaped with severe injuries as the security forces stormed their hideouts, according to a report by DSS and local authorities.

The security team also recovered several items from the kidnappers, including one Ak-47 rifle; one single barrel; one fully loaded magazine with nine empty; mini-solar panel; and food items.

The rescue operation is connected to the multi-agency counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping efforts of the government.

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Kwara: Police Launch Investigations Into Killing Of Farmer On Farmland

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Police Command has commenced full-scale investigations into the killing of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of the State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the murder as “cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” and directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those behind the attack.

According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that the deceased left home for his farm in the morning but did not return, prompting his family members and local vigilantes to organise a search.

The search party reportedly found his motorcycle parked on the farmland before discovering his lifeless body a short distance away. Police said the victim had sustained deep machete cuts.

Reacting to the incident, CP Adekimi ordered investigators to deploy all available intelligence and investigative resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.

“The killing is cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” the commissioner of Police said, assuring residents that the command would leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Although no suspect had been arrested as of Monday, the command said all available leads were being diligently pursued.

The police also assured the bereaved family, the people of Isin Local Government Area and the general public that investigators were working tirelessly to track down everyone connected with the crime.

“The Kwara State Police Command remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and will not relent until every person responsible for this reprehensible act is brought before the law,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.

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Kwara: Joint Security Team Arrests Alleged Cultist, Recovers Firearm

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A coordinated security operation involving the Kwara State Police Command, other security agencies and the Kwara State Polytechnic Security Unit has led to the arrest of a suspected cultist, Agboola Olamilekan, with a locally fabricated pistol recovered from him in Ilorin.

The operation, carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat cultism and violent crimes across the state, was described by the police as another breakthrough in intelligence-driven policing aimed at dismantling criminal networks and reducing the circulation of illegal firearms.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, said the suspect was apprehended during the joint operation while in possession of the firearm.

According to the statement, the operation is part of the Command’s sustained strategy to disrupt cult-related activities and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate within the state.

Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to intensify the fight against cultism and other violent crimes.

“Every successful operation represents another step towards dismantling criminal networks and enhancing public safety across the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing,” the commissioner said.

The police disclosed that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected members of the criminal network linked to the suspect.

The Command added that it remains committed to advancing the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, through intelligence-led policing, strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders and sustained operations aimed at ensuring that those responsible for threatening the peace and security of Kwara State are brought to justice.

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