Reform Drives Nation Along Path to Prosperity

A bullet train, running between Beijing and Tianjin, passes the Yongding Gate, a major landmark on Beijiing's central axis, in July. [China Daily/Deng Wei]

Forty years of improvements to the rail network, airports, waterways and highways have facilitated faster, stronger economic growth. Zhang Yangfei reports.

Forty years ago, bicycles and pedicabs of all sizes and colors packed China's streets. Private cars were rarely seen and taxis didn't exist. Intercity travelers spent days on crowded trains, while air travel was a luxury most people could not afford.

Today, private cars jam the nation's roads. Subway systems across the country are packed with commuters who can also hail cars via smartphone apps at any time. High-speed trains dash between cities, and airlines carry billions of passengers to their destinations every year.

The remarkable changes in China's transportation system during the past four decades are among the most noticeable results of the reform and opening-up policy, which started in 1978.

China is now home to the world's most modern railway system and the most developed high-speed rail network.

According to the Ministry of Transport, high-speed railways cover 65 percent of cities with populations of more than 1 million.

The Qinghai-Tibet railway, completed in 2006, is the world's highest, and the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line, which opened in 2011, is the fastest and longest commercial line on the planet.

Highway construction has also advanced greatly. In 1978, the total length of China's highways was just 890,000 kilometers, compared with 4,773,500 km by the end of last year. Expressways stretch for 136,500 km, meaning 99.99 percent of townships and 99.98 percent of villages are accessible by road.

China's civil aviation industry has also made considerable progress. By the end of last year, 229 civil airports were operating, compared with 78 in 1978. Passenger volume was 550 million trips and passenger turnover was 951.2 billion per km.

In addition, 127,000 km of inland waterways are open to traffic, and there are 27,578 cargo berths at ports, compared with 735 in 1978. China is also home to seven of the world's top 10 ports by cargo and container throughput.

Urban transportation systems have also seen huge changes as a result of the rapid urbanization process. Ride-hailing services and shared bicycles have gained in popularity, and 34 cities have subways and overground rail networks.

The government aims to transform China into a strong transportation nation, according to goals proposed at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October last year. Further construction will be focused on poverty-stricken areas, and roads in impoverished rural areas will be the main targets for improvement.

"Developed transportation has always been a symbol of national strength," said Hu Xijie, a former vice-minister of transport. "In the new era, we should endeavor to build a modern and comprehensive transportation system that is safe, convenient, efficient, green and economical to meet people's growing need for a better life."

Li Lifeng was thrilled when he drove his coach on the Xi'an-Hanzhong Expressway for the first time when it opened to traffic in 2007. The new road was smooth, straight, and when he accelerated both Li and his passengers felt safer and more relaxed.

Xi'an and Hanzhong are cities in Shaanxi province that sit on either side of the Qinling Mountains, a landmark range that provides a natural boundary between North and South China.

About 15 years ago, Li started shuttling between the two cities as a coach driver. Before the highway was built, he and his peers used a spiraling mountain road that featured hairpin bends and the ever-present danger of crashing.

"That road was very narrow and hilly, and we always had to stop to let oncoming vehicles pass," the 50-year-old said, adding that it often took eight to 10 hours to complete the journey of about 300 kilometers.

The new highway shortened the travel time to three and a half hours, meaning the drivers could make a return journey plus a one-way trip every day.

In addition to faster journeys, the new highway brought more passengers and, in turn, higher revenue.

"We beat the train!" Li said. "The coach was cheaper and much faster than the train, which took nine hours to complete the journey, so of course we became the top choice for travelers."

His company had 30 advanced Volvo coaches departing every day from Xi'an, each full of passengers. They made three stops on the return journey and additional passengers almost always filled any vacant seats.

"Over those 10 years our company alone generated profit of at least 300 million yuan ($43 million)," he said.

However, the once-booming business saw a steep decline after a high-speed train began operating last year, cutting the journey time to less than 90 minutes.

"People used to stand in long lines at the three stops and we never worried about filling vacant seats during the return journey－now we can't get 10 passengers," Li said.

"Not only the high-speed train, but more private cars, ride-hailing services and several other travel alternatives began to pop up, so fewer and fewer people use the coach anymore."

When coaches became emptier, Li's company cut the original 30 coaches to 13, and he no longer needed to drive so he began doing office work instead. He said the company's goal has been transformed from "How to make more profit" to "How to reduce losses".

In response, the central government has issued policies to alleviate the situation.

Li said the 17 unused coaches are often used by travel agencies to carry groups of tourists, and the company plans to cooperate with more online travel agencies to improve business.

"Transportation is changing so rapidly these days, becoming faster and more comfortable. That's how transport is supposed to develop, and we were lucky to benefit from the reform and opening-up policy," he said.

A Life on the Rails: Xue Jun

Since he began working on China's rail network in 1985, Xue Jun has earned seven train driver's licenses. Over the past 30 years, Xue has driven trains powered by steam, diesel and electricity, including diesel multiple units and bullet trains, and witnessed speeds rise from 60 kilometers an hour to 350.

The 50-year-old, who drives bullet trains for the Jinan Railway Bureau in the capital of Shandong province, was elated when he sat in the driver's cabin for the first time in 2011.

"I felt proud of myself for earning a license to drive such an amazing train, and proud of my country for developing the infrastructure so rapidly," he said.

He remembers his first encounter with the railway when he traveled on an old-fashioned steam locomotive with green livery, the type that disappeared from China's tracks long ago. "It was about an eight-hour journey but the cars were so full of people there wasn't even a small area of floor to sit on. I stood for the entire journey," he said.

Growing up near a railway line, Xue often watched the giant vehicles rushing by and thought it would be exciting to drive one. Eventually, his wish came true. During his training, the teacher told the students that after 2000, all trains would be powered by electricity, would be equipped with air conditioners and would not emit pollutants.

"We found that impossible to believe," he said.

Xue started as a fireman, shoveling coal into the locomotive's firebox－after every 12-hour shift, his face, hands and clothes were covered with coal dust. However, when he gained a train driver's license in 1987, he found the job was just as hard as being a fireman.

"The locomotive always shook greatly and swayed from side to side. We had no safety monitoring systems, and most drivers relied on observing rocks on the adjoining road to guess their speed."

When intercity multiple unit trains began operating in 2008, Xue had a glimpse of one as it dashed by when he was driving an old electric locomotive.

"Now, I only have a vague memory of its appearance. At the time, I was just stunned by the speed, and determined to get a license."

The days when he got dirty and fought to stand upright in a locomotive have long gone. His bullet train is equipped with a comfortable cabin that contains a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a heater and an air conditioner. Advanced safety devices are fitted during construction, so people can enjoy safe, quick and smooth journeys.

"People nowadays have a growing need for travel, and all the convenience and comfort they experience are largely due to 40 years of technological developments," he said.

The Pioneering Bicycle Mechanic: Chong Li

At the end of Beijing's Fuxue Hutong there is a quiet courtyard full of old photos, ink paintings and birds chirping in cages. A large wooden plaque hanging above the entrance reads "Chongli Bicycle Repair Shop."

In summer, the owner, 61-year-old Chong Li, usually sits in the front yard with his 7-year-old white chow chow dog basking in the sun. Forty years ago, Chong would have not imagined today's peacefulness and relaxation because bicycles were the main form of transportation and the yard was always crammed with machines awaiting repair.

Starting in 1977, Chong's original stall was one of the first private businesses in the capital, and maybe even the country. However, he was not officially granted a business permit until the reform and opening-up policy was adopted in 1978.

"I was the first to try this business model. The prospects were very bleak before the policy was adopted," he said.

A leg disability left Chong unemployed after he graduated from high school in 1977, so his teachers helped him start a small bicycle repair stall, which was later upgraded to a store. He viewed it as his best choice because it required little investment and he was practical.

"Bicycles and small pedicabs played a very important role in every household at that time, as well as watches and sewing machines. People relied solely on bikes to commute, travel or pick up children from school. The bicycle was the most important form of transport. Cars didn't exist."

People poured into Chong's yard, especially at weekends, when they often left their bikes for maintenance after the week's commute. "I did my best to fix every bike. Whether it was new or old, the bike meant a lot to the family, so I treated each one with care," he said.

His business was not the only bike repair shop in the neighborhood. There were two others nearby, both State-owned, but they still could not meet the huge demand.

The late 1980s was the peak period for bicycles. However, the peak was short-lived. People became richer as reform and opening-up boosted the economy, and automobiles gradually began to dominate the roads.

Chong closed his business in 2005. "With the rapid development of society, many neighbors moved away and abandoned their bikes. They had cars, and buses were just on their doorstep. As traveling became much more convenient, bikes slowly disappeared."

Although he now makes a living by selling goldfish and paintings, he has been pleased to see bikes regain their former popularity in recent years as a greener mode of transportation, and he is amazed at how they have developed.

"Now the lock just flips open by simply scanning a QR code," he said. "It's much easier than sticking a key into a keyhole."

A nation on the move [China Daily]

(Source: China Daily)