Silk Road freight route becomes vital trade artery

Chang'an services, now increasingly heading both ways, help open western region

Editor's Note: With more Chang'an freight trains running to Central Asia and Europe, a self-styled coffee street catering to creative industries, a relaxed household registration policy and public campaigns to promote civic-mindedness, Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, is trying to raise its competitiveness and become more attractive to talent, investors and tourists. We sent reporters to the starting point of the ancient Silk Road to find out more about the city's modernization efforts.

The international Chang'an rail freight route, which departs from Xi'an, has further opened western China to the outside world over the past five years, helping increase trade with nations in Central Asia and Europe.