Hong Kong has inaugurated its first high-speed rail link with the Mainland. The new line connects the city to southern China and the country's high speed rail network. CGTN's He Weiwei told us about the first day's operation and new opportunities coming to the region.

HE WEIWEI SHENZHEN "I'm now at Shenzhen North Railway station, where the very first high speed train linking mainland to Hong Kong departed at 6:44 in this morning. I was on board and had a very fast trip to Hong Kong, it only took me 18 minutes, compared with an hour in the past.

There are 92 pairs of trains scheduled to run between Shenzhen and Hong Kong today, each has a capacity of about 600 seats. There are two railway stations in Shenzhen city, and there's a train leaving either of the two stations every 10 or 20 minutes, heading to HK. The earliest departed before seven AM, the latest will be at half past ten in the evening. The railway authority plans to operate 127 pairs of bullet trains on the route on peak days."

But the importance of this railway link goes far beyond the two cities, it lies in that this marks Hong Kong's integration with the mainland's high-speed railway network, which is the longest in the world and also the most extensively traveled. This link is also seen as a progress in China's plan to build the Guangdong-HK-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Now from Hong Kong via Shenzhen, you can easily and efficiently get to other cities within Guangdong province, and on to over 40 other major Chinese cities within 9 hours at most, like Beijing in north China, Shanghai in the east, Xi'an in the west.

The railway link brings benefits to both sides. To HK, the Chinese mainland is a huge market that it doesn't want to miss. HK Disneyland and Ocean Park are offering combined tickets for the railway and parks, welcoming visitors from across the country.

To mainland, with the railway link it will become more attractive to HK residents who seek broader job opportunities given to the mainland's huge potential.

The link helps build closer ties in terms of economic and cultural exchanges, and to boost mutual understanding and cooperation. HWW, CGTN, SHENZHEN.