On Monday, China's high-speed railway network has been further extended with a new section starting operations. The newly opened Zhengzhou-Puyang section in Central China's Henan Province welcomed a 98-year-old People's Liberation Army (PLA) veteran, who used to march for days in this section on foot, as its first-ever passenger.

Chang Guilin, the 98-year-old veteran who participated in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), boarded the first train on Monday, wearing military-style uniform and medals. "At that time [back with the army] we all walked this section on foot," he often said. "From Junxian county to Anyang city, it was a three-day walk."

Global Times