The western section of a new high-speed railway opened on Wednesday in Hainan province, completing the world's first such railway to circle an island.

The 653-kilometer rail belt connects Haikou on the north to Sanya on the south, with trains running along both the east and west sides of the island at projected speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour.

Passengers are now able to circle the island in 3.5 hours, passing through 12 cities and counties.