2018年CRI Hainan travel chaos: Is it time to build the cross-strait subsea tunnel?

 

About 10,000 vehicles have been stranded¹ on Hainan Island after cross-strait ferry services to Guangdong province were suspended due to heavy fog.

The travel chaos² caused by the week-long disruption has aroused discussion about the need to build a cross-strait bridge or a tunnel under Qiongzhou Strait.

CRI's Li Yi has more.

Hainan is a popular destination for Chinese tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday thanks to its tropical climate and clean air.

But visitors got more time away than they bargained for this week after a heavy fog brought an end to ferry services across Qiongzhou Strait, which links Hainan with Guangdong province on the mainland.

"We tried to transfer our flights to other cities first and then to Beijing, but the tickets from Sanya are all very expensive. We also considered going home by train. But it won't work. It will cost too much time and there aren't any train tickets left. Many people have met a similar issue. We don't know what to do," sai Mr. He, one of 5 million tourists who travelled to Hainan Island during the Spring Festival holiday this year.

Ferry services were stopped once the bad weather set in. And flights back to the mainland have almost sold out.

Tan Zhongsheng is a professor of School of Civil Engineering of Beijing Jiaotong University. He is also a member of a research project looking at cross-strait transportation over Qiongzhou Strait.

According to Tan, building a bridge across the Strait is not a feasible solution.

"As far as I know, each year, the Qiongzhou Strait is shrouded³ by heavy fog for more than 20 days. There are also typhoons and storms there. A cross-strait bridge cannot guarantee an all-weather travel. However, a tunnel can avoid being affected⁴ by this type of weather."

Currently, the ferry service is the only way to drive to and from Hainan Island.

Tan said an undersea tunnel should help to ease the traffic pressure.

"We would prefer a railway tunnel, so trains can carry cars through the tunnel. We have acquired the technology for building a subsea tunnel. The construction will cost about 30 billion yuan. The plan is feasible both technically⁵ and economically."

But Xie Yanjun, a professor of the School of Tourism of Hainan University, is less enthusiastic about the suggestions to build either a bridge or a tunnel.

"Travel need should not be the only factor to consider when deciding whether or not to build a subsea tunnel or cross-sea bridge over Qiongzhou Strait. The subsea tunnel is unnecessary if only used for transporting tourists, as the travel rush is a seasonal⁶ phenomenon. There should be enough traffic every day if we want to build bridge or tunnel. National security, environment protection, and economic and social development should be determinants."

For CRI, I'm Li Yi.

1 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 shrouded   

v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密

参考例句：

• The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
• The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

6 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。