Wudang Airport to open in 2016

Construction of an airport is in full swing in the Wudang Mountains, Shiyan city, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/wudangshan.gov.cn]

The Wudang Mountains in Shiyan city, Central China's Hubei province, is stepping up airport construction, which started in May 2014 and is scheduled to finish in 2016.

The Wudang Mountains airport is one of the planned airports of the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15). With a total investment of 2.5 billion yuan ($407.09 million), the airport will cover an area of 30,000 square kilometers with a 2,600-meter runway.

After completion, the trip between Shiyan and Wuhan will be shortened to 45 minutes. The airport will also open routes from Shiyan to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Xi'an.

Tourism in the Wudang Mountains is restricted due to the lack of air transport. The new airport will significantly boost Wudang's tourism growth and help Shiyan build a comprehensive transport system covering road, rail, water and air transport.

Contributed by Wang Liang and Jiang Yuanbo from Wudang Mountains Tourism Bureau