China's Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway is now complete, and its Guiyang-Kunming section begins operation today. 

Photo taken on Dec. 27, 2016 shows the Kunmingnan Railway Station in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. The Guiyang-Kunming section of Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway is scheduled to be put into operation on Dec. 28. At that time, the whole Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway line will be in full operation. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

The Shanghai-Kunming lines, also known as the Hukun Line, is a major arterial railroad across eastern, central and southwest China. Its total length is nearly 2,300 kilometers. The design speed is 300 to 350 kilometers an hour.

Full operation begins in January. The high-speed railway will cut travel time between Shanghai and Kunming by half, from over 20 hours to around 8 hours. It's the first in the world to travel an altitude of 2,000 meters at such a speed.

A bullet train is seen at the Kunmingnan Railway Station in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 27, 2016. The Guiyang-Kunming section of Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway is scheduled to be put into operation on Dec. 28. At that time, the whole Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway line will be in full operation. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)