Right after the recent seven-day National Day holidays that ended on October 7, commuters in Beijing were delight-ed to find a new subway line being put into service. This 27.66-km long underground artery, running through the northern and southern edges of downtown Beijing and linking bustling commercial sections, densely-populated residential quarters, and well-known tourism spots in five districts, will pro-vide a healthier alternative to the gridlock traffic conditions in the nation"s capital.