The cherry blossom-themed trains on China's first suspended monorail line in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province, have attracted numerous tourists with their floral carriage decorations and a unique opportunity to view pink blossoms from a stunning aerial perspective.
From early March to April, Wuhan transforms into a floral wonderland as cherry blossoms blanket the city in soft pinks and whites. The "sky trains" are adorned with cherry blossom elements inside the carriages, providing tourists with an immersive experience.
"Capturing the monorail train from this angle enables it to be framed together with cherry blossoms, creating a very romantic scene," said a tourist.
"I think the monorail train is very advanced, refreshing, and truly impressive," said another tourist.
The suspended monorail line, which opened to the public in September 2023, spans a total distance of 10.5 kilometers, features six stations, and passes through the Optics Valley Ecological Corridor.
Dubbed "the Optics Valley Photon," the monorail train appears to hang upside down because the track is positioned above. Passengers can enjoy the city from an entirely different perspective through the glass floor beneath their feet.
The entire operation process of the monorail train is fully automated and requires no human intervention.
"At that time, we sought to have a fast sightseeing tool throughout the entire green corridor, which is a fundamental facility for the corridor. Since its operation in September 2023 until now, our total passenger traffic has reached 2.1 million people," said Yang Qingmei, director of the planning and design department at Optics Valley Traffic Company, the operator of the line.
"In other cities, there are no trains hanging above the tracks, and the carriages underneath are suspended, allowing passengers to see the scenery below their feet, which is particularly novel," said Tong Le, a tourist.
Futuristic "sky trains" in China's Wuhan allure tourists with cherry blossom-themed decor
Futuristic "sky trains" in China's Wuhan allure tourists with cherry blossom-themed decor
Futuristic "sky trains" in China's Wuhan allure tourists with cherry blossom-themed decor
A conference on sustainable development cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states concluded with the signing of 18 key projects worth a total of 4.795 billion yuan (about 655.5 million U.S. dollars) on Thursday in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
The projects, covering new energy, new materials, infrastructure, and automotive supply chains, are expected to boost practical cooperation among member states.
Nearly 400 guests, including officials and enterprises from SCO member states, attended the opening session. The conference is part of a series of activities ahead of the upcoming SCO summit in China this autumn.
The agreements involve eight countries, including the UAE, Egypt, and Uzbekistan. Notable projects include a 200-megawatt transformer substation in Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone and a collaboration between the UAE and Tianjin Municipality to help local enterprises expand overseas.
Ahmed El Homosani, CEO of the Sczone Utilities, highlighted the importance of the power substation project in attracting quality investments. "What we are going to sign is a framework agreement regarding building a new substation, 200 mega of electricity power. It will attract more and better investments," he said.
Meanwhile, Avinash Jagetiya, CEO of UAE's Sun Management Consulting, emphasized the significance of the cooperation agreement with Tianjin. "Yes, I'm certainly looking forward to this conference and that is the reason I'm here. And in this conference also we are going to sign an MOU (Memorandum of understanding) with Tianjing government. And this project is a step forward in serving the Tianjin enterprises and expanding their footprints and overseas market," he said. The conference also featured specialized sessions on energy, infrastructure, and mining cooperation. Energy cooperation was a focal point, with representatives from Kyrgyzstan noting increased interest from Chinese investors in energy projects.
"At present, a large number of Chinese investors are directly engaged with Kyrgyzstan's State Investment Agency for energy projects, including hydropower, solar and wind power plants," said Maksatbek Botoyarov, chief specialist of the Department of Investment Attraction and Regional Development of Kyrgyzstan.
Participants, including representatives from traditional energy firm LONGi, expressed commitments to increasing investments in the new energy sector and exploring green transformation pathways with SCO members.
"Over the years, we have developed green electricity and green hydrogen products and technical solutions to help these SCO countries achieve their sustainable development and energy transition. We are also actively communicating with the Kazakh government to formulate specific plans and programs for implementation," said Shi Shufeng, marketing director of LONGi's Central and East African Market.
SCO sustainable development conference secures 18 projects involving nearly 4.8 bln yuan
