Passengers are pictured at Hohhot East Railway Station, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Jan 29. [Photo/IC]

Hohhot in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region aims to build a three-dimensional transportation network in 2019, which also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China.

The city has made strides in improving the land and air transportation over recent years.

Tian Huan, born in Hohhot has been amazed by the changes.

“In 2002, there were a few flights flying to Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin from Hohhot. People heading to Japan had to transfer at these cities,” Tian said, who has been living in Japan for years.

She said that the flights in Hohhot have increased considerably and the city is now connected to more places.

Hohhot Baita International Airport was established in 1958 and its annual passenger throughput was 16,600 in 1978, with only two cities as destinations.

The airport handled over 10 million passengers in 2017, becoming the 32nd airport in the country with a passenger throughput reaching over 10 million, said a worker at the Hohhot airport and railway construction project office.  

Statistics show that the airport received over 12.2 million passengers last year and opened 196 air routes to 86 cities.

The city's railway has made dramatic improvements.

According to government statistics, the city's railway handled 11.76 million passengers in 2017, a considerable step from the early years of China's reform and opening-up.

The construction of highways in the city has also increased greatly, with dozens of roads and expressways being renovated and improved, offering a more convenient travel experience for passengers.

The first subway train for Hohhot Metro Line 1 rolled off the production line at an assembly shop in Changchun, Jilin province on Jan 13, a step forward for the city's government to build a three-dimensional transportation network.

This year, Hohhot will continue to make numerous efforts to promote the development of railway, highway and air transportation in the city.